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IVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT 



Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2010 with funding from 
The Library of Congress 



http://www.archive.org/details/concretesilosbooOOuniv 



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Concrete Silos 



A Booklet of Practical Infor- 
mation for the Farmer 
and the Rural 
Contractor 



PREPARED BY THE INFORMATION BUREAU 

UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



Price 25 Cents 



PUBLISHED BY THE 



Universal Portland Cement Co 

CHICAGO — PITTSBURGH — MINNEAPOLIS 



SEVENTH EDITION. 1914 

Copyright 1914, by Universal Portland Cement Co. 
6-13-14— SOM-D 



f 4 



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Harder Patent Does Not Cover 
Concrete Silos 

For the information of parties planning the 
erection of concrete silos, we quote the following 
from the opinion of our patent counsel relative to 
the Harder patent No. 627732. 



"The Harder patent as interpreted by Judge 
Ray is limited to a silo having a continuous 
opening from top to bottom, a series of sliding 
doors, reinforcing strips and braces of peculiar 
form. The court said in its opinion, 'It is 
obvious that the braces of the Harder patent 
would be superfluous in stone or brick silos' ; 
this being true, the Harder improvement 
would be wholly unnecessary in silos made of 
concrete. 

Therefore we advise you that the Harder 
patent does not cover all forms of silos; that 
it is limited and restricted to substantially the 
exact construction which it shows and de- 
scribes and that it is unnecessary, if not 
undesirable, in silos made of concrete." 



Since concrete silos are not covered by the 
Harder patent, farmers ..and contractors need have 
no hesitancy in building ,'3rlos of concrete and are 
requested to advise the Universal Portland Cement 
Co. of cases where any claim of an infringement 
is made. 



! CI,A374f»89 




Tallest Silo in the World — 93 Feet High—built of concrete. Contractor, H. B. 
Collom, Somerville, Ohio. 



Table of Contents 



Silos and Silage 

General Facts : Page 

Advantages of Silos 7 

Brief History of Silos 8 

What Leading Farm Papers Say 11 

Common Silo Supersititions Exploded 19 

Silage for Beef Cattle 23 

Silage for Dairy Cows 28 

Silage for Sheep, Horses and other Live Stock 30 

Silage Crops 35 

General Information on Silos and Silage 

Capacity for a Given Number of Cattle (Example) 37 

Table of Capacities of Round Silos in Tons 36 

Economical Diameter 37 

Height 37 

Location 38 

Filling the Silo — Using Off Silage: 

When to Harvest Corn for Silage 38 

The Cutter 39 

Elevating and Distributing 39 

Economy of Filling the Silo Rapidly 40 

Wetting the Silage 40 

Cost of Filling 40 

Table Showing the Cost of Filling Fifty-nine Concrete Silos .... 102 

Cost of Silage 42 

Using Off the Silage 42 

Advantages of Concrete as a Silo Material: 

Fireproof Construction 46 

George Pulling's Silo 46 

A. B. Main's Silo 47 

The Element of Waste 48 

The Effect of Freezing 49 

Concrete Silos Successful in Coldest Climates 50 

Concrete Roof Prevents Silage Freezing 50 

Time Required to Build a Concrete Silo 50 

A Comparison of the Monolithic and Concrete Block Types ... 50 

Building the Silo 

Methods of Building: 

Contract Work : . 52 

Work Under Hired Foremen 52 

Work Under Home Supervision , 53 

Co-operation in Silo Work 53 



Page 

Foundations 54 

Home-made Form for Monolithic Silos 50 

Doorways 63 

Constructing Monolithic Silo Walls 06 

Building Concrete Block Silos 74 

Home-made Blocks 78 

Concrete Chutes 80 

Water Supply Tanks 82 

Concrete Roofs 87 

Commercial Silo Systems 

Monolithic < - 92 

Concrete Block 97 



Appendix 

Tables : 

Triangle mesh reinforcement for monolithic silos 100 

Cost of filling concrete silos 10-2 

Free IT. S. Government and State Experiment Station Bulletins on 

Silos and Silage 104 



Index to Tables 

Title Page 

Capacity of Round Silos in Tons 36 

Quantity of Silage Required for the Dairy Herd and Economical 

Diameter of the Silo 37 

Cost of Filling 59 Concrete Silos 102 

Materials for Silo Footings and Floors 55 

Materials for Home-Made Silo Forms 62 

Cubic Yards of Concrete in Silo Walls 67 

Cement, Sand and Gravel Required for Monolithic Silo Walls . . 68 

Triangle Mesh Reinforcing for Monolithic Silo 70-100 

Size and Spacing of Reinforcing Rods in Monolithic Silo Walls . . 72 

Blocks Required for Walls of a Concrete Block Silo 76 

Size of Reinforcing Rods for Concrete Block Silo 77 

Capacities of Water Supply Tanks . 82 

Materials and Reinforcing for Tank Floors 84 




A FARM 
SKYSCRAPER 



79 FEET HIGH 



Wilson Bros. Concrete Silo, Sugar Grove, Illinois. 
Inside dimensions 16x64 feet; built in 1912' 
Polk forms used. W. H. Warford, contractor 



Second Tallest Silo in the World. Built by H. B. 
Collom, Somerville, Ohio. Monsco forms used. 
Inside dimensions, 14x79 feet; built in 1913. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



Silos and Silage 

The Advantages of Silos 

A silo on a farm is a mark of progress. No other building so well 
advertises the intent of the farmer to be progressive and up-to-date and 
no other building saves him so much money on the investment. The 
use of any reasonably good, comparatively air-tight silo pays. A good 
silo will pay as much as 100 per cent on the investment the first year. 
This is assuming, of course, that a reasonable number of cattle, horses, 
sheep or hogs are being fed. The silo saves all of the corn crop, 40 per cent 
of which would otherwise be wasted. In times of sudden rain, it fre- 
quently saves all the alfalfa crop which could be saved in no other manner 
except siloing it immediately. The silo eliminates troublesome corn stalks 
and elevates feeding, especially in winter, from back-breaking drudgery 
to a science. The silo is an asset: if built of permanent materials — it 
is a permanent asset. 

The advantages of silos are almost too great to enumerate; in fact, 
almost any practical farmer who has built a silo finds a new reason 
which proves further its economy and necessity. No other building holds 
so much feed for such a small cost. To illustrate: A silo 60 feet high, 
14 feet in inside diameter, will hold approximately 400 tons and such a 
silo has cost, all contractor's profits included, $800. Where else could 
$800 be invested in a building which would hold, safely and securely, 
proof against time, elements, fire, and vermin (for this was a substantial 
reinforced concrete silo with roof and chute), 400 tons of green, succulent 
fodder, and keep it not only two or three months but, if necessary, for 
two or three years? No other building but the silo will house so much 
for so little cost. This fact bankers as well as farmers should remember. 
Nowhere else is there so safe a loan which will do as much ultimate good 
to the community. When the banker loans a farmer money to build a 
silo, of a permanent material, such as concrete, the money will be in- 
vested in a valuable improvement, immediately increasing the value of 
the property. 

A silo, nowadays, is used sometimes more in summer than in winter. 
There is no reason why a certain amount of silage cannot be fed successfully 
every day in the year; pastures, even in the most fertile parts of Illinois, 
Indiana, and Iowa, burned up one year under a rainfall in certain 
districts less than that of the Sahara Desert. At other times the fields 
are covered by floods, and blue grass or other pasture, however good, is 
destroyed. The early part of the year, 1913, when for nearly six months 
precipitation in Champaign County, Illinois, was less than 1 3 4 inches, and 
the floods in the Ohio River Valley in the earlier part of that year where 
not only fields, but bridges and buildings were destroyed, should also be 
remembered. 

The permanent silo, particularly, spells crop insurance. It makes 



CONCRETE SILOS 



profits; it reduces costs; it saves feed; it conserves all the crop, particularly 
if that crop is corn. More than that, it conserves energy; it is efficient 
and reduces farm labor to a minimum. 

But since, perhaps, the "proof of the pudding is in the eating thereof," 
and as few districts nowadays are without silos, the practical experience 
of neighbors should be sought. A little later on, extracts from some of the 
leading farm papers of the country touching on a number of disputed 
points are published. The careful reading of them, as they come from 
disinterested and authoritative sources, will prove the foregoing statements. 

Brief History of Silos 

History tells us many things. It proves, apparently, that there is 
nothing new under the sun. The Egyptians, hundreds of years before 
Christ, put grain and other crops in large stone jars, covering them as 
tightly as they could. In the ancient ruins of Rome, similar jars have 
been found, made air-tight with a substance somewhat like bitumen. 
Julius Caesar, we are told, made pits at convenient points along the great 
military roads built by him, which were lined with clay, filled with green 
forage, tramped on and sealed with clay, so that he had food for his 
horses when the necessity pressed. Instances might be cited indefinitely, 
as of the Mound Builders and Incas in North and South America, who 
used jars similar to these of the Romans and ancient Egyptians and the 




Mexican circular silo made of adobe, which 
successfully keeps green fodder in the drier parts 
of Mexico, where the material is not disin- 
tegrated by rain. 



A less efficient silo than illustrated on the left. 
A square adobe silo; this type was first built in 
Mexico, Crude as they are, they are better than 
no silos. 



Courtesy "Technical World.' 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 9 

same method as has been observed elsewhere. The silo is nothing more 
nor less than a large fruit jar. 

In Africa the barbaric natives do not allow their crops to stand out 
in the fields at the mercy of the elements, but build a circular bin of inter- 
woven reeds, plastered on both sides with clay, and covered with a 
thatched roof. When the fodder or grain is to be removed, the roof is 
propped up, for the time being, and replaced by the simple process of 
removing the props. These structures are from 3 to 6 feet in diameter and 
generally stand on stilts, with a. total height of 6 to 12 feet. 

In Mexico, for some time past, probably centuries, crude silos have 
been made of adobe, page 8. A square silo was first used, but the 
Mexicans, like other North Americans of a later date, discovered that 
the silage spoiled easily in the corners. Strictly speaking, their product 
is not silage as we understand it. It is a green fodder, packed in, but 
not cut into small pieces. Their next step in silo building and possibly 
the last for some time to come, was the round silo. 

The silos shown on page 8 are crude structures, covered with thatch 
■ — which must harbor insects, rats and mice. Nevertheless, these are 
better than the methods, or lack of methods, used by many of the non- 
progressive farmers of to-day, who do not even take the precaution of 
covering their corn or machinery with a roof. The silos pictured in the 
illustrations show, at least, an intelligent effort on the part of the Mexicans 
to protect their food in dry seasons, and lead broad minded people to 
think that perhaps we might learn something from them. 




Fifty-foot Concrete Silo put up for Ben. Searls 
near Picketts, Wisconsin, by George W. West- 
ern. Limberg molds used. 



Another Concrete Silo with concrete chute — 
solid, substantial, and enduring — Limberg molds 
used. 



10 



CONCRETE SILOS 



It must be admitted that the savages of Africa and the half -civilized 
peons of Mexico use more care in protecting their fodder crops than many 
American farmers. More buildings of permanent material are needed 
on our American farms. 

The twentieth century silo, par excellence, is undoubtedly the rein- 
forced monolithic concrete silo. A well built, reinforced concrete silo with 
a concrete roof and a concrete chute is almost a defiance to nature. It 
defies time, fire, wind, sun, rain, frost action, and the alternate action of 
any or all of these elements combined. It is not injured by lightning. 
Concrete silos have stood unmoved against tornadoes and have suc- 
cessfully resisted shocks due to the impact of wagons, falling buildings and 
trees, and cannot be entered, undermined or affected by rats or other 
rodents, vermin or insects of any kind. The concrete silo cannot burn 
up; it will not blow down; it is a twentieth century structure because 
it represents more adequately than any other type of farm building the 
triumph of man over his natural adversaries and is a striking example 
of the victory of skill over brute strength or cunning. 




Reinforced Concrete Grain Tanks, 16 feet by 65 feet inside dimensions. Built by Ed. Kuharske, Rock- 
ford, Illinois, for Spencer Otis, Sr., Barrington, Illinois. Car unloader shown on side. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



11 



What Leading Farm Papers Say 

"It is claimed that the first silo in the United Slates was built in 
Michigan in 1875, but it was not until some years later that they came 

into any marked use, even in the best dairy districts. It is 
Tremendous on ]y within the last three or four years that their full practical 

and economic advantage was appreciated. The silo was gen- 
erally regarded as simply a valuable adjunct to the dairy industry, and 
its appearance as part of the farm equipment indicated the presence of 
milch cows and a progressive dairyman. The value of silage in the 
production of milk was early appreciated, but it is only within four years 
past that its full economic value in all branches of the cattle industry 
began to be understood. 

"Since 1910 experiment stations in most of the states of the central 
west have made repeated tests of silage as a feed for beef animals, as well 
as for breeding and for young animals. The results consistently show that 
suchfeed greatly reduces the costof meat production, and'increases the cattle 
carrying capacity of the farm. The constant advance in the price of farm 
land and the growing difficulty in profitably producing meat upon it, 
has centered general attention upon these silage feeding experiments. 
Knowledge of the favorable results quickly reached the feeding districts 
and has been acted upon. The increase in the number of silos in operation 




Homemade Concrete Block Silo on William 
Stall's farm near Lansing, Michigan. 



F. W. Merrill's Concrete Block Silo, built by 
owner, Kaneville, Illinois. 



12 



CONCRETE SILOS 



during the past two years is one of the most striking movements recorded 
in the history of American Agriculture. Within that time the number 
has more than doubled, and the movement appears to be just well under 



way. 



Estimated Number of Silos, January 1, 1914 

Average 

Number Silos built p„ n! , -| V 

„ ., ■ 1n1Q capacity, 

of silos in 1913 tons 

Ohio 10,560 3,432 51 

Michigan 10,812 1,088 93 

Indiana 11,500 2,760 105 

Illinois ... 17,340 5,202 101 

Wisconsin 41,535 8,236 101 

Minnesota 2,414 516 113 

Iowa 16,236 3,267 115 

Missouri 6,726 2,679 110 

Kansas 6,510 1,680 123 

Nebraska 3,240 900 132 

North Dakota 770 250 100 

South Dakota 1,300 455 120 

Oklahoma 1,360 460 160 

Total 130,303 30,925 

'It will be noted that almost one-fourth of the total number of silos 




Successful Wisconsin Silo. Limberg molds used. R. Evan's Concrete Silo near Berlin, Wisconsin. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



13 



now in use were built during 1913, and in all probability at least one-half 
were built within the last two years. Of course, by far the greater Dumber 
are as yet in the dairy regions, Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, and Iowa 
easily leading in numbers; but the states in which cattle feeding is 
most practiced are the ones that now show the largest percentage of annual 
increase. Central Indiana and Illinois, the north half of Missouri, eastern 
Kansas and Central Oklahoma are beef-producing districts that are 
marked by a rapid silo development during the past two years. 

"The use of the silo in feeding beef cattle is responsible for an increase 
in the average size of the silo. The size of the silo depends upon several 
factors, the principal being the daily consumption of silage, as the top 
must be removed promptly and uniformly over the whole surface, and as 
the amount required daily for tlie average dairy herd is less than the amount 
required for a feed lot of steers, it follows that the use of silage in meat 
production has resulted in the erection in the last two years of silos of 
larger capacity. 

"The economic importance of the present development of silage feed- 
ing would be hard to overestimate. About 70%, or roughly, 75,000,000 
acres of our corn area is used to produce corn to be fed upon 
Economic ^ e farm. Husking and gathering this corn not only constitutes 
Importance one °^ the hardest manual tasks performed upon the farm, but 
is one of the largest items of cost in growing corn. An average 
acre of corn land produces perhaps one ton of corn on the cob and 11 tons 
of stalks, blades and husks when cured to a reasonable degree of dryness. 




Minnesota Concrete Silo, erected on F. W. 
Murphy 's farm, Wheaton, Minnesota, by Martin 
Peterson, Contractor. 



Concrete Silos (dimensions 18 feet by 44 feet) on 
Wakefield farm, Barrington, Illinois, built by 
Reichert Manufacturing Co., in 1912. 



14 



CONCRETE SILOS 



of Corn 
Wasted 



"In the great corn belt of the West the ears are husked and then the 
kernels are shelled off, such separation involving great labor and expense. 

Then the 11 tons of feeding material is allowed to go to waste, 
Eleven Tons an incumbrance in the field, except as a small part is utilized 

by the pasturing of cattle for a few weeks at the close of the year. 

It follows that on 75,000,000 acres devoted to the growth of feed 
for farm animals by far the greater part of the annual growth of feeding 
material is absolutely thrown away. The use of the silo will prevent 
this waste and make it possible to utilize in meat production 12 tons 
of feeding material per acre instead of the one ton now so utilized. 

"The silo furnishes a means of bridging the widening disparity between 
meat production and population, through a complete utilization of the 
feeding stuffs produced and the consequent ability to grow and fatten 
more cattle per acre of farm land than is possible under any other form 
of cattle feeding." — Orange Judd Farmer, Chicago. 



"During the last year we have heard a great deal about the virtues 
of 'alfalfa on every farm.' Big alfalfa stories have been going the rounds 
like wildfire. Fortunately they are mostly true. Alfalfa growers 
'"A Silo on } iave no excuse for lying about the value of their crop. They 
find the plain truth sounds big enough — oftentimes too big. 
This alfalfa phrase is worthy and the idea it conveys merits universal sup- 
port and encouragement. More alfalfa leads to better farms and more 
prosperous farmers. There is no question about it. We would propose 




: . 




Concrete Silo on farm of H. Stillson Hart, Har- 
rington, Illinois, visited by delegates to Confer- 
ence on Permanent and Sanitary Farm Improve- 
ments, August, 1913. 



Concrete Silo with Concrete Roof, Chute and 
Feed House built on the Kane County Farm near 
Geneva, Illinois. Also visited by delegates to 
Conference. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



15 



a companion phrase — 'A silo on every farm.' We wish these two mighl 
be displayed on the same banner, extolled from the same platform and 
preached everywhere, publicly and privately. Where one is the other 
ought to be. They are profit makers for every farm. Alfalfa and silage 
come nearer solving the live stock problem satisfactorily, than any other 
combination on the farm. While we are talking and advertising alfalfa, 
let us not forget to put in a good word for the silo. They should go to- 
gether. Every farm and farmer needs them." — The Farmer's Review, 
Cliicago. 

"Silage forms the bulk of the ration of the cows during the winter and 

is used to supplement the pasture in summer. Cotton seed meal is 

Silage Makes use d to balance the corn silage. At no time is corn, outside 

Baby Beef of silage, fed heavily. Mr. Tasker has been feeding silage for 

Raising seven years and finds it to be a great help in producing baby beef 

cheaply." — Prairie Farmer, Chicago. 



Profitable 



"Silos are more numerous this year than ever before. The farmers 

are beginning to realize that the silos are really necessary in a dry season 

Silos More an< ^ every dry season teaches them to look for another. That is 

Numerous the reason so many are insuring their future feed supply by 

in 1914 building this year." — Kimball's Dairy Farmer, Waterloo. 

"Fairview Farm is a leader in every way. Mr. Hall's cement silo 
was the first to be erected in his community. It was built eight years 




Monolithic Concrete Silo built in 1910; inside 
dimensions 14 feet by 45 feet. Built by Ed. 
Kuharske, Rockford, Illinois, for Hugh Ferguson. 



Concrete Block Silo with reinforced concrete roof 
built by the Renwick Cement and Tile Co. of 
Renwick, Iowa. 



10 



CONCRETE SILOS 



ago. Many inspected it and predicted that it would be useless 
Concrete Silo m a f ew vears# ]S[ t only has it stood the test of time, but it 
Proo°f" e nas weathered a cyclone which two years ago ruined many build- 

ings in that, locality. An idea of its stability may be gained 
from Mr. Hall's assertion that an iron flagstaff which was imbedded in 
the cement was broken completely off by the storm, but the silo was 
uninjured." — The Farmer's Review, Chicago. 

"Silage is of prime importance as a feed, because it enables the cows 

to produce milk and butter more economically than on dry feed alone. 

Compare this with a juicy, ripe apple and the green, dry fruit. 

Silage of jj y OU nave a S [\ Q f u \\ G f good, well matured corn, you can 

Importance l°°k the cow sc t uare m t ne face and be glad." — The Farmer, 

Saint Paul. 

"Investigations conducted by the Dairy Division of the U. S. Dept. 
of Agriculture during the past few years with 87 silos in various parts of 
the United States, indicate the cost of filling to be an average 
Cost of Q f §7 cen ts per ton. The cost of growing the silage crop was 

i age $1.58 per ton on the average, which added to the filling cost 

makes the average total cost of silage $2.45 per ton. However, no defi- 
nite statement can be made as to the exact cost of silage as so much 
depends upon the yield per acre, cost of production, and other conditions 
that vary so greatly in different sections of the country. For the individual 






Reinforced concrete silos are popular in Kansas. 
This one is 12 feet by 32 feet; capacity 75 tons, on 
the Newtown Farm, Winfield, Kansas. Concrete 
chute and roof. Monsco forms used. 



Concrete Silo with Tank on Top. Size of silo, 
14 feet by 48 feet; capacity 148 tons; water tank 
capacity, 10,000 gallons; erected with Monsco 
forms on the farm of E. D. Elliott, Floral, Kansas. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



17 



Value of 
Silage 



farms under consideration the cost of silage varied from $1.10 to $5.42 
per ton. The investigators state that $1.50 to $3.50 per ton represents 
the limits between which most of the silage is produced." 

— Hoard's Dairyman, Ft. Atkinson. 

An Iowa correspondent writes to Wallace's Farmer asking: 

"What in your estimation is the value per ton of corn silage made from 

corn averaging fifty-five bushels per acre, and stored in a silo 

eighteen feet wide by thirty-four feet high? This silage is of 

very good quality. In case I should buy it, I would have to 

commence taking it from the top." 

"Under present conditions, it costs from 50 cents to $1 to put a ton of 
silage into a silo. Probably the average would not be far from 65 cents. 
This includes cost of cutter, engine, coal, man and horse labor, etc. Seven- 
ty-five cents per ton should cover the interest on the investment in the silo, 
depreciation, insurance, etc. The other item to be considered is the 
value of the corn fodder per ton if it were not put in the silo. We will as- 
sume that our correspondent's fifty-five bushel corn would make twelve 
tons of silage, and that the stalks are worth $1 an acre. To the ear corn 
we will assign a value of 65 cents per bushel. This is assuming a market 
value of 70 cents, and deducting 6 cents for husking. On the basis of these 
figures, a ton of silage should be worth about $4.45. If the market value of 
corn were 45 cents per bushel, the value of a ton of silage would be $3.16. 




Frank Leach's Monolithic Silo (dimensions 14 
feet by 48 feet) near Chesterfield, Illinois, built 
by Perry Duekles, Carlinville, Illinois. Polk 
forms used. 



Fire proved this concrete silo, another picture of 
which is shown on page 47; the second mono- 
lithic concrete silo built in either the United 
States or Canada. McCoy forms used. 



18 



CONCRETE SILOS 



"These figures are merely suggestive. In any particular case they 
must be applied with judgment, and other things must be taken into con- 
sideration. It would seem fair, however, to make the market value of corn 
less the cost of husking per bushel, the yield per acre in tons of silage, cost 
of siloing, and the quality of the silage, the determining factors in secur- 
ing the valuation of silage." — From Wallace's Farmer, Des Moines, Iowa. 

"Dairymen who have a supply of silage which will be available are 
most fortunate and have simplified the matter of feeding their cows suc- 
T , „.. . cessfully through the summer. Sunburned pastures present no 
Summer m terrors for them. Experiments have proved that good corn 
silage is equal to green soiling crops for summer milk produc- 
tion and is much more conveniently fed to cows than are green soiling 
crops which have to be hauled from the fields." — The Farmer, Saint Paul. 

"Feed bills which have been saved this winter through the use of the 

silo cannot be estimated. One correspondent declares that his new silo 

p , ' has practically paid for itself ' this first year. Another says 

Itsetf yS ° r 'the silo is the greatest money saving investment I ever made. 

I am going to build another this summer.' It is the same 

story all along the line — what they all say after a fair trial of the silo. 

There is no investment which pays better interest and dividends from 

the very start. A live stock farmer without a silo in these days is working 

under a serious handicap so far as economical profits are concerned." — 

The Farmer's Revieiv, Chicago. 




Two Concrete Silos with Concrete Chutes built in 
Wisconsin with W. A. Limberg's patented molds. 



Polk Silo in Process of Construction in Missouri, 
showing method of operating forms. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEM E \ T C O. 



1!) 



The supposed effect of silage acid on concrete has been one of the 

most widely discussed and at the same time the most absurd of the many 

common silo fallacies. Silage acid is one of the weakest acids 

Unaffected known to science. It does not miraculously preserve wood nor 

by Silage destroy concrete, neither does it affect cows' teeth nor their hoofs 

or horns. It does not eat out their stomachs and has no bad 

effect upon them whatsoever. Silage juices will not eat away concrete 

nor injure it in the slightest degree, which is proven by the fact that after 

years of service the concrete foundations of hundreds of silos built of other 

material still show, to-day, the trowel marks which were made at the 

time constructed. If the silage acid had any effect whatsoever, it would 

only be a few months when the floor (of all places) would show the effects. 

Many a dairyman, who has successfully fed silage to his cows for 

years, is told by his neighbor who raises sheep or hogs that silage is all 

right for dairy cows but it is not good for his animals. This, of 

Rewired course, is absurd, but it should be remembered that the stomachs 

in Feeding °f animals like cows (which have four stomachs holding 40 or 50 

pounds of silage in 24 hours) are different from the smaller and 

more delicate stomachs of horses or sheep. Hogs relish silage but they. 

again, have different kinds and sizes of stomachs than the other animals 

mentioned. Silage is also fed to chickens and other poultry with great 

success. It might be mentioned, at this time, that the average silage 

ration for cattle runs from 30 to 50 pounds daily; for horses, not as a rule, 

over 15 pounds and the silage must be of excellent quality, as the horse is 

a dainty feeder; for sheep, not over 3 pounds daily; for hogs, from 3 to 5 




Sixteen Concrete Silos similar to illustration have 
been built by John Stahl of Hayton, Wisconsin. 



Concrete Silo. Built by R. C. Angevine for S. S. 
Lee of Lowell, Michigan. 



CONCRETE SILOS 



pounds, and for chickens it should be placed in clean receptacles and fed 
to them like any other green stuff. Animals which have never been fed 
silage should be started on a very small quantity for a few days, just as 
other new foods are given only in small quantities at first, by the careful 
feeder. 

' 'In a recent issue of ' The Farmer ' an exchange article was run which 
would give the impression that concrete is injuriously affected by the 
Silage Juice ac ^ m s ^ a g e juice. This certainly would be a mistaken idea, 
Does Not as there is absolutely no evidence we can find to show but what 
Affect concrete is just as enduring in a silo wall as anywhere else. 

Concrete ***** Q ur observations are that silage juice has absolutely 

no perceptible effect upon concrete." — The Farmer, Saint Paul. 

"There is nothing about concrete that produces mold in silage. If 
Concrete Does a concrete silo is properly made it will preserve silage well, 
Not Cause whether it be built above or below the ground." — Hoard's Dairy- 
Moldy Silage man> Ft Atkinson. 

"It will not injure dairy cows to feed them all the silage they will 
Free Use eat providing it has been properly made and is not moldy." 
of Silage — Kimball's Dairy Farmer, Waterloo. 

A subscriber to "Hoard's Dairyman" asks, "Which kind of silo 

keeps ensilage the best, wood or cement?" This is answered in the March 

27, 1914, issue. 

9^ me ?l° r "A cement or concrete silo, if properly built, will keep 

ensilage as well as any other type of silo. The secret of success 






Monolithic Silo (McCoy forms used) of Roy 
Hagler of Washington Court House, Ohio, built 
by James Wilt. 



Ward Swift's silo near Streator, Illinois, built by 
Armstrong and Co. of Streator. Note concrete 
roof and concrete chute. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMEN T C O. 



21 



in building a concrete silo is largely in the mixture used; 1 part cement, 
2 parts clean, sharp sand, and 4 parts clean gravel or crushed rock are 
recommended." 

"Silage has very much the same effect upon the cow's digestive 
apparatus as pasture grass." — Kimball's Dairy Farmer, Waterloo. 

"Every now and then some cock and bull yarn is started by ignorant 
men as to evil effects of ensilage. No one can stop them. They are a 

natural product of ignorance. Disraeli once said that 'even 
RUSt' Providence could not provide for the unforeseen machinations 

of stupidity.' About once in so often we are called upon to dis- 
pute the statement that ensilage injures the teeth of cows. The latest 
tomfoolery of that kind is that ensilage causes acidity in the soil, and we 
notice Dr. Hart of the Wisconsin College of Agriculture feels called upon 
to dispute it. But the worthy doctor has an interminable task ahead of 
him if he puts down every ignorant tale that is told about the silo and 
about ensilage." — Editorial, Hoard's Dairyman, Ft. Atkinson. 

"It is more difficult to keep silage in a silo 24 feet deep than in one 30 

or 40 feet deep. The deeper the silo, the more likely the silage is to pack 

n „.. tightly together and keep out air. In early days, when silos 

were made only 15 or 20 feet deep, they found it necessary to 

put weights on top of the mass in order to prevent spoiling." — From 

Wallace's Farmer, Des Moines, Iowa. 




A Minnesota Concrete Silo built by farmer A. L. 
Liske of Henderson, Minnesota, who used home- 
made forms. 



A Fine Example of Permanent Construction. A 
reinforced concrete silo and concrete roof which 
will probably stand for centuries. 



CONCRETE SILOS 



"Silage will keep, if properly put up in a good silo, from 3 to 4 years. 

Silage does not 'cook.' It ferments and it does not matter whether there 

is 6 inches of concrete, 2 inches of wood, x /i inch of iron, or 

Temperature w h a t kind of construction is used in the walls. The heat is 

"1 S $" a J lt,es caused by the fermentation and the loss through the walls is so 

small that it is entirely negligible. The temperature due to 

fermenting may rise to 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. 

"A silo that is air tight will hold the moisture. There is nothing more 

mysterious in putting up silage than there is in putting up sauer-kraut. 

The confusion arises usually because agents of different kinds of silos try 

to make differences where none exist." — Hoard's Dairyman, Ft. Atkinson. 

A Wisconsin dairyman writes to "The Farmer" of St. Paul, asking if it 

is true that dairy cows fed on silage live only about five years. The 

answer is : 

fj la f e "There is positively nothing in such a report; as a matter 

Cows' Lives of fact, cows fed silage will generally outlive cows that are not 

fed silage or some other such succulent feed. 

"The Minnesota Experiment Station of St. Paul has a greater 

number of records of old cows than perhaps can be found anywhere 

else in the United States; that is, cows that were raised from calves 

and continued in the herd until they died of old age, most of them over 

fifteen years and profitable to the last year. These cows are fed silage 

the year around, from twenty to forty pounds a day. This is surely 

evidence that cows will live their natural life when fed on silage." 




Northern Wisconsin's First Monolithic Silo — 
built by G. W. Graham of Roberts, with Wis- 
consin Farmers' Institute silo forms. (See illus- 
tration on page 56.) 



. . .: . . . ..-, :.■*■ V'- :~ 

Successful Reinforced Concrete Twin Silos built 
with molds patented by W. H. Limberg of Plym- 
outh, Wisconsin, who is an inventor and a silo 
contractor. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



23 



Silage for Beef Cattle 

Time was when one could usually fijid a dairy farm, by locating a 
silo, but that time has passed. Silage is acknowledged to be the best feed 
for dairy cows. The high cost of feed has necessitated the use of some 
cheaper feed than grain, some better method than pasture on the beef 
feeder's or stock raiser's farm. There is no cheaper feed than silage and 
it can be fed to excellent advantage to beef cattle, as repeated tests at the 
University of Illinois and at Purdue University have shown. The day 
for fat cattle has also passed, if one is to judge from the last Inter- 
national Live Stock Show, and from the recent trend of the market. Baby 
beef seems not only to be most popular but most profitable. It has been 
shown conclusively that baby beef can be brought forward more rapidly 
and cheaply, on silage as a maximum ration, than on any other feed. 
The successful beef feeder to-day, to make the largest profits, must of 
necessity have a silo and feed silage. This is as true of Indiana as Kansas. 
It is as true of Oklahoma as Minnesota. The beef feeder will do well 
to look into this question and get reports from his State Experiment 
Station, and if these do not give fully the information desired, it is sug- 
gested that he write for further information to the State Experiment 
Stations at the University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois; Purdue University 
at LaFayette, Indiana, and to the Ohio State University, at Columbus. 




Monolithic Concrete Silo built by S. E. Griffeth 
for S. L. Covey, Belvidere, Illinois; looks and is 
substantial 



Concrete Silo in process of construction on Green 
Brothers' Farm, Morgan. Minnesota. Built with 
farm labor. 



CONCRETE SILOS 



"That was one of the sights of the International — Brother Leo and his 

fat bullocks. Last year, at the same show, he secured them when they were 

the prize yearling's in the feeder class. He took them to the 

Silage Fed g rea t farm at Notre Dame University and fed them. They had 

"Inter- '" silage all summer long and never a bite of grass, for Brother Leo 

national" is seeking production of prime beeves. With the silage they had 

grains, of course. The result is astonishing. The cattle have 

taken on flesh, width, rotundity; they are splendid bullocks, provoking 

wonder and smiles." — Editorial from Breeder's Gazette, Chicago. 

"One week last spring I visited the Old Cattleman to look at the 
new crop of calves. 

Baby Beef « <j ^ Q no ^ s } m t ff the silage altogether until the grass is a 

Safest Si/stem little solider and not so washy,' explained the Old Cattleman. 

for Corn Belt ' It makes a little bulk with which to feed the cottonseed meal 

to the cows. They and the yearlings get just enough of it each 

day so that none of it spoils. They eat it even on the best of June grass, at 

least they did last year! It is cheaper than the grass, so why not feed it ? 

" T wean the calves in the fall. Sometimes they are only a bit over 
five months old. Sometimes they're as much as eight months or better. 
They're eating grain when they're weaned and I get 'em on full feed 
as soon as I safely can. They get shelled corn, oats, oilmeal, clover hay, 
alfalfa, silage, a little bran and sometimes a bit of molasses. I'd rather 




Arcady Certified Milk Barn, Lake Forest, Illinois, showing litter carriers and two of six concrete silos. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



25 



buy the molasses myself and mix my feeds than buy the prepared feeds, 
though I have fed a little of some of them. I like oilmeal better than 
the cottonseed meal, for the calves, though I have fed a little cottonseed 
meal when the oilmeal was high. More than a pound a day of the cotton- 
seed meal doesn't seem to be good for the calves, while I have fed three 
pounds of the oilmeal at a profit. 

" 'I like alfalfa best of all the hays I ever tried. My own patch of it, 
though, has killed out and I'm just getting it started again. The last 
bunch, those in the yards, had only clover and oat hay. Of course they 
got silage. The silage is great stuff, but the cows get more of that than 
the calves do. I reckon I never feed more than 15 pounds of silage a 
day to the calves, and seldom that much. I used to feed some roots to 
the calves, and a lot to the cows, but not any more since I have silage. 
They cost too much to grow. Labor is too high and I don't like to bend 
my back over them myself. Silage is better anyhow. 

" 'I've made yearlings weigh 1,200 pounds at 16 months in the way 
I've told you. The bunch in the yard will average a good bit better than 
1,100 in June at 16 months. Sometimes I sell at 1,000 pounds or less. 
Sometimes I carry them to 1,250 pounds or better. Usually when they 
are fat and prime they are better sold even if they are a bit light in weight. 
There 's not much money in holding after they are ready to go. 






" 'I like to feed the babies better than the older cattle. It's a surer 

thing and to me it's a pleasanter business, too, breeding them yourself.' ' : 

— By Rex Beresford, Iowa Beef Producers' Association, in the Prairie Farmer, Chicago. 




Two of the Six Reinforced Monolithic Concrete Silos at Arcady Farm, Lake Forest, Illinois, owned 
by Arthur Meeker. 



CONCRETE SILOS 



That Indiana feeders believe in concrete silos is shown by the follow- 
ing letter : 

"Editor Prairie Farmer: I saw an article in your March 

High Silos | s j. j ssue m regard to one of the largest concrete silos in the 

feeders ""* wol 'ld, 16x62 feet. We have a farmer in Knox county, Indiana, 

by the name of William H. Brevorte, who has built six concrete 

silos whose dimensions are 22 feet diameter by 60 feet high. He will 

build six more this year, same dimensions. He is feeding 1,000 head of 

cattle." — Prairie Farmer, Chicago. 

\ South Dakota correspondent writes to Wallace's Farmer asking: 

'"Cattle can be pastured on prairie grass from May 1st to December 

1st, for $2.50. For the remaining months, corn silage can be fed. How 

much silage would be consumed daily by the average beef cow, 

Value of ky the average yearling, by the average two-year-old, and by 

Pasture" the average three-year-old? How much gain could be expected 

each year from young stuff fed silage? How much gain could 

be expected each year from young stuff on pasture? What other feed 

should be fed with silage to make the most economical winter growth? 

"We do not know just how good this prairie grass pasture in South 
Dakota is. Good corn belt blue grass pasture will put an average daily 
gain on yearlings of about one and one-half pounds, and on two-year-olds of 
about one and two-thirds pounds. Such pasture costs $6 or $7 per acre for 
the season. 

"Calves coming into the winter in fairly thin condition and fed all the 




A Michigan Concrete Block silo — homemade- 
on farm of W. Stoll, Lansing, Michigan. 



F. W. Merrill, contractor, of Kaneville, Illinois, 
owns the block silo illustrated above. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



27 



silage they can eat, and one pound of cottonseed meal or oil meal daily, 
should gain about one and one-half pounds daily. Under such conditions 
they should probably eat about thirty pounds of silage, a little more or a 
little less, depending upon the proportion of corn and water in the silage. 
Yearlings or two-year-old steers roughed through the winter on silage will 
eat thirty to forty pounds daily. Beef cows will eat forty to fifty pounds. 
In addition to the silage, it is wise to allow them some dry roughage, such 
as oat, straw, cane hay, or corn stover. It would be wise to feed them two 
or three pounds daily per 1,000 pounds live weight of cottonseed meal or 
oil meal. On a ration of corn silage, oat straw, and cottonseed meal or oil 
meal, yearlings, two-year-olds, or three-year-olds should make daily 
gains of about one and three-fourths pounds. Much depends, however, 
upon how thin the steers are when they are put on winter feed." 

— Wallace's Farmer, Des Moines, Iowa. 

In Henry County, Illinois, some of the largest feeders in the Corn 
Belt are also going to raise some stock, expecting to change their methods. 
Regarding this, "Orange-Judd Farmer" of Chicago says: "Clyde 
Ford believes they must ultimately come to use a silo, particu- 
larly if they get to handling young steers or raising their own 
stock." On the Hulting farm, Ed. Hulting, the manager, said: 
"Under the new system of raising baby beef, I believe that silage and 
alfalfa will be the chief bulky part of the ration with a little grain to 
keep the calves always in first-class condition. They will be kept fat all 
the time and at the end of the year will be topped off with a short grain 
feed, in excellent market condition, weighing about 1,000 to 1,100 pounds." 



Beef Feeders 
Must Build 
Silos 




Excellent Concrete Block Silo in the heart of the 
butter district near Elgin, Illinois. 



John Bett's Concrete Block Silo near Lake 
Geneva, Wisconsin. Dimensions 13x32 feet. 



28 



CONCRETE SILOS 



Silage for Dairy Cows 

Winter dairying is most profitable. This is particularly true in the 
northern states, as flies and other pests are eliminated by the cold weather, 
and it is easier to keep milk cool and clean because of the weather and the 
absence of flies. In many communities not only where whole milk is pro- 
duced, but also where the milk is sold to creameries or cheese factories, 
winter dairying has been found to be most profitable if silage is fed. To 
get the largest milk flow and keep the dairy cow in the most healthy 
condition some sort of succulent food must be fed, and in some way the 
ingenuity of man must provide conditions similar to June pasture. Good 
silage practically equals this condition. 

However essential silage is in winter dairying, in summer, especially 
in August when the pastures are sunburnt and bare, the dairyman needs 
to feed it. In fact, on some farms producing certified milk, silage is fed 
the entire year, not only because it is so easily handled in the barn in com- 
parison with other feeds, but, also, because it is such a cheap feed. No 
other roughage approaches silage for low cost of storing, handling, and 
feeding. The silo increases the carrying capacity of the farm. Where 
dairy cows or other stock are fed, many more can live on the products 
of the same number of acres, by the use of the silo and silage. 

"In practically every way the Brewster place is an ideal dairy farm. 




Monolithic Silo built in 1907 on farm of L. A. 
Crawford, near Walworth, Wisconsin. 



Attractive Concrete Block Silo on Fred. Ludke's 
farm near East Troy, Wisconsin. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



29 



$100 a 
Month from 
8 Cows 



money. 



Pure bred Holstein cows, a bull valued at $1,000, a cement silo, a sanitary 
cow barn, and an automobile for marketing the produce, all tend 
to make surroundings which may be studied with profit by any 
farmer. 

"The sole purpose in conducting this dairy farm is to make 
In order to do this both Mr. Brewster and his wife keep careful 
track of their cattle and of the markets, and they spare no effort to 
make their investment a profitable one. From a financial standpoint it is 
unquestionably successful. Throughout the past summer more than a 
hundred dollars per month has been realized from the milk of the herd 
of 8 cows. 

"Mr. Brewster considers the silo indispensable to the dairy farm. 
The one on this place is of cement construction, 30 feet high and 15 feet 
wide." — The Farmer' 1 s Review, Chicago. 



Breeding 
Animals 



"The feeding of corn silage judiciously to a herd bull does not injure 
his prepotency. It is true of corn silage as of any other food, if the animal 
is overfed injury of one kind or another will result. Corn silage 
should provide only a portion of the animal's ration. All ani- 
mals demand a certain amount of dry food daily, therefore hay 
should be fed in conjunction with silage for roughage. In addi- 
tion to this, especially in breeding season, the herd bull should have a light 
ration of foods conducive to the upbuilding of condition and stamina. 
Such foods are bran, oil meal and ground oats. Where corn silage is fed 
as a small portion of the ration for the purpose of supplying succulence 
rather than food nutrients, it is one of the most valuable feeds for all 
kinds of breeding animals." — Kimball's Dairy Farmer, Waterloo. 




Concrete Silo at Home for the Aged, Washington, D. C. 



30 



CONCRETE SILOS 



"I have as neighbors a father and son who have been in the dairy 
business for twelve years, using scrub cows and without a pure-bred sire 

and a silo. The father. has been opposed to these new-fangled 
Nothing Like things all these years, but this year I induced the son to buy a 

pure-bred sire and to build a silo even though his father objected 
to it. When they commenced to feed the silage the father saw the milk 
flow increase and his creamery check grow larger. I now hear him say: 
'My boy, there is nothing like a silo for the man that milks cows. If I 
had pure-bred cows, too, my creamery check would be larger and the 
farm would be more profitable.' " — Hoard's Dairyman, Ft. Atkinson. 



Silage for Sheep, Horses and Other Live Stock 

Silage is very successfully fed to sheep. A number of large sheep 
feeders around Chicago have been very successful in fattening sheep 
for market by the use of silage. There is no doubt, especially in the 
Corn Belt states, that sheep have come to stay. More will be raised 
every year, not so much for wool as for mutton. This means different 
methods of feeding because it is not economical on land worth over $100 
an acre to pasture them. The use of the silo and silage reduces the cost 
to a tremendous extent, particularly as sheep will rarely, if ever, be fed 
over 3 pounds of silage per day, which is equivalent to several times its 
weight in hay. In feeding sheep silage they should be started with very 
small quantities and no spoiled silage should be fed them or, in fact, any 
other animals. Spoiled silage is no different from any other rotten food 




^ 







Cement Stave Silo, Bosworth Brothers' farm. 
Built by Cement Stave Silo Co. of Elgin, Illinois. 



Concrete block silo on Courlund Marshall 's farm 
near Rochester, Ohio. Built by V. W. Burge. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



81 



and there is no excuse for feeding it any more than the farmer would 
deliberately give his animals contaminated water or moldy hay. Com- 
mon sense is more needed in feeding silage to sheep and horses, than 
other live stock, because of the small quantities of any food their stomachs 
will hold at one time. 

Silage is good for horses. It can be fed to them in amounts varying 
from 7 to 15 pounds a day. Here again care should be exercised and the 
horse should only be fed small amounts at first until he gets used to the 
new ration. Where silage is used for roughage, concentrates must be 
fed. Alfalfa and corn silage makes an almost ideal balanced ration for 
horses and a very cheap one as well. 

Silage has been fed successfully not only to horses, but to poultry of 
all kinds. Chicken silos are advertised, but as a matter of fact, a large 
silo, preferably a tall one, with not too great a diameter, is most economical, 
as from it, at all times of the year, a succulent ration is provided for beef 
and dairy cattle, sheep, horses, hogs and poultry of all kinds. 

"For four years now, we have been in the business of feeding western 
lambs. For the first two years we fed without a silo and for the last two 
years with a silo. It is easy for me to say that we are well 
pleased with the results we have gained in using silage for feed- 
ing lambs. 

"Our silo is a cement stave silo 12 feet in diameter and 35 
feet high with a capacity of 100 tons. It cost us $350 com- 
plete. From this silo this winter we fed 700 lambs, 1 cow, 3 
horses and 500 chickens. They emptied it in one hundred and ten days. 



The Silo a 

Valuable 

Adjunct in 

Sheep 

Feeding 

Operations 




I 



H. M. Hatch's Silo at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Capacity, 110 tons. This silo has paid for itself 
many times since it was erected. 



32 



CONCRETE SILOS 



"The lambs ate about 3 pounds per head a day to start with, but as 
soon as we got them onto full feed of grain they came down to about 2 
pounds per head a day. It takes us about thirty days to get them on 
full feed. 

"We fed these lambs this winter, that is when they were on full feed, 
for about ninety days, allowing each \ x /± pounds of shell corn; Y% pound 
of oil meal; 1% pounds of silage and Y pound of clover hay a day, with 
all the salt and water they wanted all the time." — The Farmer's Review, 
Chicago. 

According to extracts from "Farmer's Bulletin No. 556," U. S. De- 
partment of Agriculture, silage is an excellent feed for horses if used with 
care. It is not safe to feed horses moldy silage, frozen silage or 
Silage for a \ ar g e quantity of silage. Carelessness in feeding horses silage, 
if it is moldy, or feeding moldy hay or corn will result fatally. 
That silage for horses has a distinct and definite value for the careful and 
practical farmer is shown by the following quotations : 

"The value of silage for horses is greatest as a means to carry them 
through the winter season cheaply or to supplement pasture during 
drought. To cheapen the ration of brood mares, in winter, no feed has more 
value than good corn silage. If grain goes into the silo with the stover 
no additional grain is needed for brood mares, hay being the only sup- 
plemental feed necessary. If there is little grain on the corn the silage 



M^-. 




Four in a Row — all reinforced concrete silos, near Manhattan, Kansas (16 feet by 60 feet inside di- 
mensions), built for H. G. Adams, Maple Hill. Probably the largest silos west of the Mississippi River. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



33 



should be supplemented with 1 pound of old process linseed oil meal or 
cottonseed meal daily per 1,000 pounds live weight, sprinkled over the 
silage. 

"Horses to be wintered on a silage and hay ration should be started 
on about 5 pounds of silage daily per 1,000 pounds live weight, the grain 
and hay ration being gradually decreased as the silage is increased until 
the ration is 20 pounds silage and 10 pounds of hay daily per 1,000 pounds 
live weight. It will require about a month to reach the full feed of silage, 
but the period may be decreased somewhat, depending on the judgment 
and skill of the feeder. 

"Mares fed in this manner will be in splendid condition for foaling, 
and, so far as the writer's experience goes, the foals will be fully as vigor- 
ous, with just as much size and bone, as if the mares were fed the con- 
ventional grain and hay ration." 



"Corn silage is exceedingly valuable feed for dairy cows, and during 
the past few years especially, since it has been put in the silo in a more 
mature condition, it has proven to be a very economical feed for 
growing young cattle and for fattening them for market. If 
the corn is not cut until after the ears ripen with the most of the 
leaves still green, it produces the best quality of silage for fat- 
tening purposes. In fact, it is better to let it get a little over-ripe so 
that it is necessary to use water to make it pack in the silo than to cut it 
too green. Immature corn not only produces less feed to the acre, but 
silage from such corn is more apt to sour and is less valuable for feeding 



Silage for 
Dairy Cows 
and Hogs 




Excellent concrete block silo, built in Iowa by 
Anchor Concrete Stone Co., Rock Rapids. 



Monolithic Concrete Silo built by Peter Oskoe, 
Neenah, Wisconsin, for Emil Black. 



34 



CONCRETE SILOS 



purposes. Good silage fed in moderate quantity in connection with grain 
and some dry roughage makes a very satisfactory ration for any class of 
cattle. 

"It would not pay to build a silo for hog feeding only, because the hog 
is not able to handle a large quantity of bulky feed. The stomach of the 
hog is small and they must be supplied with a large proportion of concen- 
trated material like corn, wheat, shorts, etc. For best results in fattening 
hogs, it would be impractical to have the ration more than one-fifth bulky 
feed. Brood sows which have their growth can, of course, take a much 
larger quantity of such feed. For this reason it would not be profitable 
to give fattening hogs more than a small quantity of silage, not to exceed 
one pound per day to a 200-pound fattening hog. A brood sow weighing 
300 pounds could use to advantage double that quantity. If you have 
enough cattle on the farm to make a silo worth while, it will no doubt 
pay to feed a small quantity each day to the hogs, otherwise not." — The 
Farmer, Saint Paul. 

Pea vines, once considered waste products, have been used very suc- 
cessfully in making silage and in fact this method is of benefit, as proved 
by the following extract from Hoard's Dairyman: 

"Pea blight is said to be due to a parasite fungus that winters on the 
„.. , vines and that it can be prevented by the simple expedient of 
ensiling the vines and feeding them to the cattle." — Hoard's 
Dairyman, Ft. Atkinson. 




No trouble about concrete block silos standing 
when empty. H. M. Ashfy of Geneva, Iowa, 
owns the silo illustrated above; built by G. C. 
Harvey of Geneva. 



Although empty, the concrete block silo of Dr. 
H. W. Tuttle of Adrian, Missouri, successfully 
resisted a cyclone which destroyed all surround- 
ing buildings. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



35 



Principal 
Crop 



Silage Crops 

As alfalfa is king of forage crops, so is corn the best of the silage crops. 
If some one would come from a strange, far off country and tell the farmer 
of a new sort of a building which would house 300 to 500 tons 
c of fodder and keep it all the year around and he had a wonderful 

seed from some foreign country which would produce from 4 to 
10 tons of provender per acre, how quickly all the farmers 
would be greedy and willing to purchase his entire supply. Corn is the 
crop and the silo is the building by which both these seeming miracles 
can be accomplished. 

In addition to corn; alfalfa, clover hay, Kaffir corn, sugar beet tops, 
pea vines and dozens of other crops have been successfully siloed. In 
N , . Kansas, particularly, alfalfa, otherwise ruined by rain, has been 
Silage Crops taken dripping with moisture, dumped into concrete silos and 
saved. It has been thought best, however, by eminent authori- 
ties, to use corn as the greater part of the silage. If other fodder, par- 
ticularly nitrogenous crops like alfalfa or clover, are siloed, they should 
be in the proportion of about 1 to 2 — that is, 2 parts corn to one of 
the other. The fermentation of the corn seems to have a beneficial effect 
upon the other crop, so that in the process of fermentation it does not 
sour or turn black as sometimes when handled alone. Every day new 










«■ — 




' 












1 






£i 




- 


'"'■"'•^Mgj 




^?f :> _«i k 



Excellent example of high concrete silo of com- 
paratively small diameter. 



Cement stave silo 18 by 30 feel-, on State of Min- 
nesota Farm, St. Paul. 



CONCRETE SILOS 



uses are being found for the silo and new crops successfully put up. 
Where a crop is in good condition there is no reason why it. will not 
keep in a silo better than anywhere else, provided, of course, that the silo 
is air tight, and stays air tight. 

"Corn is universally recognized as the greatest of the silage crops. 
Its large yield of grain and fodder under fair conditions is remarkable. 
Corn, on bottom land farms, will produce from 6 to 20 tons of 
Comas silage per acre (in Oklahoma). The general average for Okla- 

homa is, however, much lower, ranging from 9 to 12 tons per 
acre. This wide difference indicates that for maximum yields corn should 
be grown on bottom land as far as possible, and kaffir and milo may be 
reserved for the upland." — Kimball's Dairy Farmer, Waterloo. 



Capacity of Round Silos in Tons 



Inside 

Height of 

Silo 

in Feet 


INSIDE DIAMETER OF SILO 


10 ft. 


11 ft. 


12 ft. 


13 ft. 


14 ft. 


15 ft. 


16 ft. 


17 ft. 


18 ft. 


19 ft. 


20 ft. 


22 ft. 


24 
25 
26 

27 

28 
29 
30 
31 

32 
33 
34 
35 

36 
37 
3S 
39 

40 
41 

42 
43 

41 
45 

46 
47 

43 
49 
50 


34 
36 
38 
40 

42 
44 
47 
49 

51 
53 
56 
58 

61 
63 
66 

68 

70 

72 
74 


41 

43 
46 
49 

51 
54 
56 
59 

62 
65 
68 
70 

73 
76 
79 

82 

85 
88 
91 


49 
52 
55 

58 

61 
64 

67 
70 

74 
77 
80 
84 

87 
90 
94 
97 

101 
105 
109 
113 

117 


57 
60 
64 

68 

71 
75 

79 
83 

86 
90 
94 

98 

102 
106 
110 
115 

119 
124 
128 
133 

137 


67 
71 

75 
79 

83 
87 
91 
96 

100 
105 
109 
114 

118 
123 
128 
133 

138 
143 
148 
154 

159 
165 
170 


76 
80 
85 
90 

95 
100 
105 
110 

115 
121 
126 
132 

136 
142 
148 
154 

160 
166 
172 
179 

184 
191 

197 


86 

91 

97 

102 

109 
114 
119 
125 

131 
137 
143 
149 

155 
161 
167 
173 

180 
187 
193 
201 

207 
215 

222 
229 

236 


98 
104 
110 
116 

122 
128 
135 
141 

148 
155 
162 
169 

176 
183 
190 
197 

204 
211 
218 

225 

233 
240 

247 
254 

261 


110 
116 
123 
130 

137 
144 
151 
158 

166 
174 
181 
189 

196 
204 
212 
220 

228 
236 
244 
252 

261 

269 

277 
285 

293 
301 
310 


122 
129 
137 
145 

152 
160 
168 
176 

184 
192 
200 
209 

218 

227 
236 
245 

255 

262 
270 
280 

289 
298 
307 
316 

325 
334 
344 






143 
152 
160 

169 

178 
187 
196 

205 
215 

224 
234 

243 

252 
262 
272 

282 
291 
300 
310 

320 
330 
340 
350 

361 
371 

382 


205 
216 
226 
237 

248 
260 
271 

282 

293 
305 
316 

328 

340 
352 
363 
375 

387 
399 
412 
424 

436 
449 
462 



















































































UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



37 



General Information on Silos and Silage 



Capacity 



The capacity of the silo should depend upon the number of cattle to 
be fed, and the length of time that silage is required. This period usually 
lasts from 180 to 240 days, although very frequently silage is fed 
almost the entire year. The following table shows the approxi- 
mate amount of silage required to feed 8 to 100 dairy cows 180 and 240 
days, based on a daily consumption of 40 pounds of silage per head. 

Quantity of Silage Required, and Economical Diameter of 
Silo for the Dairy Herd 



Number of 
Dairy Cows 


Feed for 

180 Days 

tons 


Feed for 

240 Days 

tons 


Diameter 

of Silo 

feet 


8 


29 


40 


10 


10 


36 


48 


10 


15 


54 


72 


12 


20 


72 


96 


12 


25 


90 


120 


14 


30 


108 


144 


16 


35 


126 


168 


16 


40 


144 


192 


18 


45 


162 


216 


18 


50 


180 


240 


20 


60 


216 


288 


22 


70 


252 


336 


22 


80 


288 


384 


22 


90 


324 


432 


22 


100 


360 


480 


22 



After determining the approximate amount of silage required, the 
most economical diameter for the silo must be decided on. The diameter 
. should depend upon the number of cattle to be fed, and at least 

2 inches of silage must be removed each day to prevent spoil- 
ing. The diameter required for various numbers of cows is about as given 
in the two right columns of the table on this page. Dairy cows eat from 
30 to 40 pounds of silage per day, which amount equals about one cubic 
foot. Horses and mules eat about one-half and sheep about one-tenth 
as much as cows. 

The height of the silo must be such that the required capacity may be 
obtained with the most economical diameter, and in many cases silos have 
a . .. been built with a height exceeding 60 feet. The high silo of small 

diameter has less waste than the silo of larger diameter, and the 
greater weight of silage in high silos reduces the amount of tramping neces- 
sary, while silos of smaller diameter allow greater variation in the size of 



38 CONCRETESILOS 



the herd without loss from spoiling of silage. The only objections offered 
to high silos are that they necessitate more climbing, and are more difficult 
to fill. There are silage blowers upon the market, however, which are 
guaranteed to elevate silage to a height of 75 feet. 

Required, a silo of sufficient capacity to feed 30 cows for a period of 
240 days. Referring to table on page 37, run down the vertical column 
headed, "Number of Dairy Cows" to 30. Running across 
Example horizontally, it will be seen that for 240 days' feed, 144 tons of 
silage will be needed, and that for a silo of this capacity, the diameter should 
be 16 feet. Referring to table on page 36, run down the column headed 
"16 feet" to the numbers nearest the estimated capacity (144 tons). 
For a 16-foot silo of 143 tons capacity the height will be 34 feet. 

The silo should be placed where it will be convenient for filling, and if 
possible, where the ground is firm, so there will be no danger of settlement. 
Silage is heavy feed, and therefore an unhandy arrangement with 
respect to the feeding alley always greatly increases the work 
connected with feeding. One of the best arrangements for convenient 
feeding is to place the silo or silos at the end of the alley. If this be done, a 
silage car can be used to advantage without having sharp corners to turn. 
The silo should not be surrounded by buildings and pens in such a way as 
to interfere with filling. Obstructions hinder the work greatly, increasing 
the cost to the owner. 

In most cases where the ground is soft, it will pay to carry the founda- 
tion down to a firm bottom, or to fill in with gravel. If it is impractical 
to go down to solid earth, the footings must be increased to at least twice 
the breadth recommended on page 55, and more if there is uncertainty. 

In parts of the country where winters are very severe, there is an 
advantage in placing the silo on the south side of the barn, where it will 
be protected from the north winds. In the past quite a large number of 
silos have been built within the barn, but this practice is not recommended 
for several reasons. Such silos are inconvenient to fill, and silo odors are 
objectionable in the barn, for unless great caution is taken, the milk is apt 
to be contaminated by absorbing the odor. 

Perhaps the most common fault made in locating silos is to get them 
too far away from the barn. In cases where this distance is made too great, 
the only way of remedying the situation is to build a room connecting the 
silo with the barn, thus incurring needless expense and increasing the dis- 
tance to haul the silage. The distance from silo doors to barn need never be 
over 4 feet, which is sufficient for a chute of the ordinary size. 

The corn should be cut while the stalks are still green, but after the 
lower leaves have begun to dry. At this stage the kernels have hardened 
When to or " glazed " on the outside, but are yet in the "dough" condition 

Harvest m the middle. If cut too green the silage will lack protein, sugar 

and other nutritive elements, and will contain an excess of mois- 
ture, generally making it sour. If too matured, it will be dry and un- 
palatable, with the fibre very prominent. In this condition it contains less 
nutriment, is relished less by the cattle, and is apt to mold or "fire-fang," 
causing it to be greatly damaged. Corn dried out in the shock makes 
poor silage unless put into the silo with plenty of water. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



89 



The Cutter 



The harvesting of corn or sorghum for the silo may be done by hand 
with the ordinary corn knife, but the corn harvester or binder is the imple- 
Harvesting ment almost universally used for this work. In some sections 
the Crop of the country corn has been cut with a sled equipped with saw- 

like knives projecting from both sides. Except where the corn has 
fallen down badly, as was the case in some sections of Michigan in 1910, 
the binder can be used to advantage. It not only saves time in cutting 
the crop, but also binds it into bundles which are easier to load on the 
wagon and feed into the cutter than the loose corn. 

Corn is sometimes placed in the silo uncut, but this practice is not to 
be recommended because the stalks will not pack closely, and the result- 
ing air spaces cause excessive fermentation. The material is 
not as easily handled as cut silage, nor is it as economical to feed. 
The crop must be cut up fine for best results and when corn is 
used the entire plant, including ears, should be fed into the cutter. Al- 
though practice varies greatly, it is safe to say that corn for the silo should 
be cut one-half inch or even shorter. 

From the cutter the silage is elevated by a blower or conveyor, and 

deposited in a chute or automatic distributer. One or two men are required 

Elevatina and w ^ nm the silo while it is being filled, to tramp down the sides 

Distributing dose to the walls, and to keep it leveled off (thus preventing the 

formation of air pockets), and to mix the heavier portion of the 

silage with the lighter. Silage has a tendency to cling to the sides of 

the silo unless well tramped, and the heavier particles roll to the edges 

while the lighter remain near the discharge. The automatic distributer 




Silo on J. Muiller's farm near Highland. Dimen- 
sions 14 by 30 feet. Courtesy of Stocker Gravel 
8b Artificial Stone Co., Highland, Illinois. 



George Graf's Concrete Silo, inside dimensions 
14 by 34 feet, near Pewaukee, Wisconsin. Note 
concrete roof and concrete chute. 



40 



CONCRETE SILOS 



greatly simplifies the work of filling the silo and does away with much 
of the tramping. The operator is simply required to guide the mouth of the 
tube, and the material descends with sufficient force to pack it nicely, 
making a minimum amount of tramping necessary. 

It is common practice to fill the silo as rapidly as possible, that is, 
keeping the cutter and blower busy continually. This is the only eco- 
nomical method where the engine and cutter are rented, or hired 
Economy of i aDor depended upon. However, if these considerations do not 
Sila^Rapidlu enter in, there is no objection to filling the silo gradually, so long 
as fresh silage is put in before mold is formed on the surface of 
that previously placed. 

During the process of filling all doors above the height of the silage 
should be left open for the purpose of letting out the carbonic acid gas which 
is given off and after the silo is completely filled it should not be entered 
for at least 48 hours. 

When the filling is finally completed, the top should be wet down at 
the rate of about one gallon of water per square foot of surface, and thor- 
w . , oughly tramped. This aids greatly in compacting the silage near 
Silage the top, reducing the depth of the spoiled material on the sur- 

face. 
Condition of crop, length of haul from the field to the silo, size of silo, 
method of harvesting and the cost and arrangement of labor are all ele- 
r , ments which affect the cost of filling a silo. Farmers' Bulletin 

Filling -No. 292, Department of Agriculture, says: "In many cases a 

poor arrangement of help is responsible for extra expense. It 




Concrete Silo on C. J. Float's farm, 12 by 36 feet, 
built by Conklin Contracting Co., Hartford, 
Michigan. Concrete silos are becoming popular 
in Michigan. 



Home-made Concrete Silo on farm of George 
Wood, Woodville, New York. This is an excel- 
lent type of silo built by the owner, using com- 
mercial steel forms. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



41 



is not necessary for men and teams to be rushed to their fullest extent in 
order to get the work done cheaply. Some of the most expensive work was 
conducted with the greatest furore and hurry. The scheme where all are 
working and no one is hindered by the others, is the most economical. 

The table on pages 102 and 103 shows the cost of filling 59 concrete 
silos during the season of 1910. Almost without exception the figures con- 
tained in these tables are considerably higher than usual, due to a poor 
crop of corn in most sections touched by the investigation and also to the 
peculiar condition of the crop in some sections of Michigan, where it fell 
down so badly as to make the use of harvesters impossible. 

The average cost of filling 16 concrete silos in Illinois was found to be 
573^2 cents per ton; average of 22 silos in Michigan, 64 cents per ton; average 
of 10 silos in Wisconsin, 57 cents per ton; average of 4 Minnesota silos, 72 
cents per ton; of 2 Ohio silos, 89 cents per ton; and of 2 Missouri silos, 50 
cents per ton. The average cost of filling silos of 100 tons or less capacity 
was found to be 70 cents; 100 ton to 200 ton silos 58 cents, and silos over 
200 tons 57 cents. The average for all the silos investigated was found to 
be 62 cents. 

Recent investigations by the University of Illinois show the average 
cost of filling silos, including cutting crop in field, to be 58 cents per ton in 
Illinois, which figure compares favorably with the average of 573^ cents 
obtained in the investigation conducted by this company. Farmers ' Bulletin 
No. 292 on the " Cost of Filling Silos," shows a range of 46 cents to 86 cents 
per ton on the 31 silos investigated, giving an average of 64 cents as against 




Cutting feed cost on L. V. Jurgensmeyer 's farm 
at Homer, Illinois. Silo constructed by Chris- 
man Construction Co. 



Wisconsin leads in cows and silos. Concrete silo 
on W. H. Butler's farm at Ripon, Wisconsin. 



CONCRETE SILOS 



the average of 62 cents obtained in the investigation conducted by this 
Company. 

The same elements which determine the cost of filling the silo, deter- 
mine the total cost of the silage, with additional items including cost of the 
r land, cost of tillage and interest on investment. Farmers ' Bulletin 

of Silage ^o. ^ states that " In the writer 's experience in the Central West 
the cost on high-priced land has been about $1.50 per ton. F. S. 
Peer, in a recent book which treats of silos and silage, gives the cost in his 
experience as $1.20 per ton. Professor Wall of Wisconsin places it at 
$1.00 per ton to $1.50 per ton, including cost of seed, preparation of land, 
interest on investment, cultivation of the crop, cutting and filling the silo. 
King, when studying this subject in Wisconsin, found that for a number 
of farms in that State, the cost averaged 73J4 cents per ton." 

Silage is always taken from the top of the silo, as obviously any 
opening in the bottom would admit air and cause the silage to spoil. 

The farmer, after filling his silo for the first time, will be 
astonished to see the amount of shrinkage; and the odor which 
greets him from the spoiled top layer may temporarily be dis- 
couraging. This layer of spoiled silage is unavoidable, even though salt 
is used in sealing, or whether oats or other grains are sprouted. The air 
will penetrate to a depth of a few inches if the silage is tightly packed and 
a couple of feet if loosely packed. That is why silage should be well 



Using off 
the Silage 




Concrete Silo at St. Charles, Illinois, Boys' School; erected by boys between the ages of ten and sixteen 
years. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



43 



packed down at the top. The spoiled layer must he thrown away and 
should never be brought near the barn, but should be dumped into 
the manure pit or else put into the manure spreader and carted off 
immediately to the fields, as the odor is disagreeable and the spoiled 
material is unfit for feed. 

One tall, narrow silo is better than two short, wide ones; first, because 
there is only one top layer to spoil, and second, because shrinkage in the 
tall silo is little, if any, more than that of either of the two smaller. It 
is known that a silo 14 x 60 feet will have approximately twice the capacity 
of a silo 14 x 40 feet. This is because the silage in the tall, narrow silo 
is better compacted. Not only is there a saving because of only one top 
layer and a smaller percentage of shrinkage, but the silage in the bottom 
40 feet of the tall silo is generally superior and more valuable because the 
air has been so completely excluded. 

At least 2 inches each day must be fed off the entire top of the silo 
in order to prevent mold. Some authorities advise that the surface of 
the silage be kept level, but in the Northern States, it is customary to 
make the surface cone-shaped to prevent freezing around the edges. 

Frozen silage should never be fed and can be best thawed out after 
the day's feed is thrown down the chute by scraping it from the walls 
and piling it in the center of the silo to thaw out. 

Only as much silage should be thrown down the chute at one time, 
as is required at that specific feeding period. Otherwise, the silage will 
spoil and the feeder can blame only his own carelessness. 




Concrete Silo, 14 feet by 35 feet, on Charles 
Dupuy 's farm near Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, built 
by F. H. Reifsneider of Beaver Dam. 



Tall Silo (inside dimensions 12 feet by 45 feet) on 
Illinois stock farm of Trimble Brothers, at Trim- 
ble, Illinois. 



41 



CONCRETE SILOS 



pONCRETE con- 
^-^ quers the farmer's 
greatest enemy — FIRE. 
Old wood barns may 
burn but the years feed 
is safe in a concrete silo. 
Concrete for the barn, 
too, is a logical step. 




Before and After a Disastrous Fire on farm of A. B. Main, Delaware, Ohio; adjoining barn contained 
180 tons of hay. Burned in Autumn of 1910; 530 tons of silage absolutely uninjured in silo, so that 
Mr. Main was not compelled to sacrifice 80 head of cattle which he was feeding at that time. The silo 
is 20x60 feet in size and was built by the Perfect Cement Silo and Cistern Co., Delaware, Ohio. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 4.5 



The Advantage of Concrete as a 
Silo Material 

It has been admitted by those who have studied the subject from an 
impartial standpoint, that silage can be kept in good condition in a silo of 
any material — be it concrete, stone, tile, or wood — if the material selected 
is properly used and the walls remain air tight. The length of time for 
which the silo will continue to fulfill in a satisfactory manner the service 
required of it depends, however, upon the selection of the material best 
able to combat the action of the elements, withstand the heavy strains 
due to the weight of the silage, and furnish reserve strength for such 
extraordinary conditions as fires and cyclones. 

Concrete — whether placed in forms cast in blocks or slabs, or ap- 
plied to a metal frame as cement mortar — is the ideal silo material be- 
cause it is permanent, wind-proof, rodent-proof and fire-proof, and is 
economical in first cost and maintenance. As regards permanency, there 
is no question but that a good concrete silo will remain indefinitely. 
Concrete grows stronger and tougher with age, outlasting almost every 
other known material. Reinforced concrete is the strongest and most en- 
during construction known. It is selected for the great engineering proj- 
ects — long bridges, massive dams, and lofty skyscrapers. 

One of the special advantages of a concrete silo is the fact that it is 
just as wind-proof and fire-proof when empty as when filled, and always 
retains its maximum strength regardless of whether full or empty. An 
investigation made by the Universal Information Bureau immediately 
after the terrific wind storms which swept the United States during 
March, 1913, failed to reveal a single monolithic or concrete block silo 
damaged by the storms. The development, during the past ten years, of 
slender reinforced concrete chimneys of great height, shows that from a 
standpoint of safety against wind resistance, this type is unequaled. 

Mice have been known to cause considerable loss by burrowing into 
wooden silos. Mice holes allow the air to get in, often causing the silage to 
spoil for a foot or more in all directions from the holes. Mrs. L. H. Adams, 
of Parma, Michigan, had an experience of this sort, and as she has a con- 
crete silo of the same size adjoining the stave silo, a fair comparison be- 
tween the two is easily made. The loss of silage from mice holes in the 
wooden silo brought the total loss in that silo up to more than twice the 
loss in the concrete silo, notwithstanding the fact that the latter was not 
provided with roof, chute, or doors, the continuous door openings being 
roughly boarded up. 

Concrete silos prevent silage from drying out. The old idea that the 
juices of the corn seep through concrete walls with bad effect upon the 
latter has been entirely disproved — in fact, it never has been entertained 
for a minute by owners of concrete silos. The bugaboo of a concrete silo 
disintegrating through the action of corn acids is an absurdity. There are 
hundreds of cases where the concrete bases and floors of wooden silos have 
been in use for a long term of years without discoloring or disintegrating 
in the least, showing conclusively that silage acids have no effect. 



46 



CONCRETE SILOS 



Fireproof Construction 

The farmer, of all people, is at the mercy of fire. Let a blaze once 
start in or about his barns and the chances are small for saving any of the 
surrounding structures. Fire fighting apparatus is out of the question, 
the water supply is generally limited, and in nine cases out of ten, help can- 
not be summoned until the flames are beyond control. 

Silo fires usually cause great loss because the feeder of silage is entirely 
dependent upon his silo all through the feeding season, which covers the 
greater part of and sometimes the entire year. The loss of the silo fre- 
quently means that the cattle have to be sold off, always at considerable 
sacrifice. Concrete silos of either the monolithic or block type are ab- 
solutely fireproof — of such a construction that they might be used for 
chimneys. If equipped with a concrete chute the concrete silo will protect 
the silage perfectly, and in the event of a fire not a pound need be lost. 

During the winter of 1910 fire destroyed the barn of George Pulling, 

near Parma, Michigan, adjacent to which was Mr. Pulling 's new 85-ton 

monolithic silo, erected at an expense of $300. This silo, one of a 

George large number of similar ones put up in that part of the country 

Silo by Mr. Charles Nobles, of Kalamazoo, came through the fire 

in good shape, with silage in perfect condition. At the time of the 




Concrete Silos on Dunham Farm, Wayne, Illinois, which successfully resisted a disastrous fire which 
destroyed the adjoining dairy barn in the summer of 1913. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



47 



fire the silo contained about 50 tons of corn silage, and as hay was then sell- 
ing in the vicinity for $15 per ton, dry feed to take the place of the silage 
would have cost probably $500, an amount greater than the cost of the 
silo and silage combined. 

A striking example of the value of fireproof silo construction is pre- 
sented in the illustrations on page 44, showing the 550-ton concrete 
A B Main's ^ oc ^ . s ^° °^ Arthur B. Main, Delaware, Ohio, before and after 
siio' the disastrous fire which destroyed his barn in October, 1910. 

This silo was built for Mr. Main during the summer of 1909 
by the Perfect Cement Silo & Cistern Co. of Delaware. 

At the time of the fire Mr. Main was feeding between 80 and 90 head 
of cattle and had on hand 530 tons of corn silage and 180 tons of hay, the 
latter being stored in the end of the barn adjacent to the silo. The barn 
burned to the ground, leaving nothing but the concrete footings, which 
will be noticed in the lower illustration. 

Although the silo was subjected to intense heat, the only damage 
done was the burning out of the continuous wooden doors. Perhaps the 
most remarkable fact brought out in connection with the fire was that of 
the small amount of silage lost. After the destruction of the doors the sur- 
face of the silage presented to the flames was seared and charred to a slight 
extent, but the charred or spoiled layer had a thickness of less than half an 
inch, and the amount actually lost was insignificant. 

Had Mr. Main been deprived of his silage by fire, it is safe to say that 
his dairy business would have been ruined, temporarily, at least. At the 




McCoy Silo near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, unhurt by disastrous fire which completely destroyed the 
barn and other buildings. Photograph was taken ten days after the fire; proves the fire-proof qualities 
of concrete. 



CONCRETE SILOS 



time of the fire hay was selling at $15 per ton. Had it been possible for 
him to have substituted a daily ration of 40 pounds of hay per cow for the 
40 pounds of silage and 10 pounds of hay being fed, the cost would have 
been no less than $4,000. Mr. Main could not, however, have purchased 
the dry feed with which to have fed his herd through the season; even had 
that been possible, the hauling of a sufficient quantity of dry feed a con- 
siderable distance over bad roads would have been impractical, according 
to his statement. The only course left open would have been to dispose of 
his cattle, which would have meant a large loss. 

The cost of Mr. Main's silage was estimated at $1.12 per ton, or a 
total of $593.60. The silo cost $750 complete. The total cost, therefore, of 
silo and silage as they stood at the time of the fire was about $1,343.60. Had 
the silage been destroyed, the cost of substituting dry feed would have 
amounted to about three times the cost of the concrete silo and its con- 
tents. These figures are sufficient to convince the thoughtful farmer of the 
desirability of putting up fireproof silos. 

The reinforced concrete silos shown on pages 46 and 47 successfully 
resisted disastrous fires and the silo on page 48 successfully resisted a 
cyclone. The silos on the Dunham farm were exposed to a very severe 
test, as a wooden dairy barn adjoining burned when the entire second 
story was full of hay and other combustible material. The fire rushed up 
the empty silo to the right of the picture, which was not protected with 
a chute, and the flames roared out the top, making a huge chimney of 
this silo. Concrete withstood this extreme fire test, however, and the 
silos were ready for use as soon as they had cooled off from the heat. 

The McCoy silo shown on page 47 successfully resisted a severe fire 
which destroyed the barn and all other buildings, hardly a trace of which 
remained, as shown in the illustration. 



s^**- ■". ";''■ - 



: ;---. ...ifcv; :■■ 




'„:■ ^ ; ~ ■; 




After Cyclone of July 26, 1913, at Frankfort, Kentucky. Eighty-one large barns were blown down. 
This Polk System concrete silo was undamaged, nor were other concrete silos in the vicinity harmed. 
"They are not built of pieces and they cannot go to pieces. " 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



49 



The wreckage scattered around the silo illustrated on page 48, after 
the cyclone, proves conclusively, without argument, as to whether or not 
concrete stands after severe wind storms. 

Properly reinforced concrete silos will not be injured by lightning; in 
fact, different concrete silos have been struck by lightning, and if it wore 
not for the statements made by reliable eye witnesses, no one would be- 
lieve that the silos had been struck. A possible explanation of this is, that 
the lightning runs down the reinforcement into the ground and where a 
concrete roof and concrete chute are provided, there is no opportunity for 
lightning to enter the structure. 

All available data tend to show that the waste of silage in silos built 
of concrete is fully as small, if not smaller, than in silos of any other ma- 
terial. Of 50 silos in the states of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, 
No C Wasted ^diana, Ohio, Kentucky and Missouri, on which reliable data 
Silage were obtained, 25 showed a loss of less than one-half ton of silage 

from all causes, 18 showed a loss between one-half ton and two 
tons, and 7 show r ed a loss of more than two tons. In terms of percentage 
of the total silage in each silo, it was found that thirty-four had an 
annual loss of less than one per cent, thirteen had a loss between one and 
three per cent, three had a loss greater than three per cent. The greatest 
loss in any case was about six per cent. 

These figures are somewhat lower than those recorded at some of the 
state agricultural colleges, probably for the reason that the college dairy- 




Twin Silos, 14 
contractor and 



feet by 40 
inventor of 



feet, built for W. Swart of Plymouth, Wisconsin, by W, H. Limberg, silo 
the Limberg Concrete Silo Molds. 



50 CONCRETE SILOS 

men are more particular than the average farmer, rejecting silage which 
the latter would consider fit for use. It may be stated conservatively that 
with silage crop in good condition when put in, properly tramped down and 
fed out at the rate of 2 inches or more per day, the loss in concrete silos of 
either the monolithic or block type will seldom, if ever, reach 5 per cent. 

The subject of frozen silage has attracted considerable attention, 

more perhaps than its just due. The fact has been pretty well established 

, _„ that freezing is an inconvenience rather than a real detriment. 

of Freezing Silage which has been frozen has to be handled an extra time, 

being pitched to the center of the silo with the warmer silage 

to thaw. Silage keeps indefinitely while frozen, and instances are noted 

where it has not spoiled after thawing, when left packed in the silo. 

After thoroughly thawing out, silage which has been frozen is equally 
as nutritious as before freezing, and the cattle eat it with as great relish. 
Silage in the frozen condition is liable to produce harmful effects, and should 
never be fed. "All careful stockmen heat their drinking water," says 
Wisconsin Bulletin No. 125, "but it is a much more serious matter to feed 
a cow 40 pounds of silage at 32 degrees than to give her 20 to 30 pounds of 
ice water." 

In northern Minnesota and North Dakota, where the temperature 
frequently reaches 30 degrees below zero during the winter, and occasion- 
ally goes as low as 40 degrees below, monolithic and con- 
Concrete crete block silos are in successful use. A recent investigation 

M in Coldest °^ concrete silos in Minnesota failed to disclose any in which 
Climates the silage froze more than one foot back from the wall on the 

north side. Freezing to this extent occurred when the temper- 
ature was between 30 degrees and 40 degrees below zero. 

Prof. J. H. Shepperd, dean of the North Dakota Agricultural Col- 
lege, says in a recent letter: 

"I might say that our experience here indicates that there is no diffi- 
culty in putting up the ordinary type of silo in this state by reason of the 
cold weather which occurs during the winter season. Our farmers who 
have had experience with them recommend building them outside of the 
barn rather than to put them inside to protect them from heavy freezing 
of the ensilage on the walls. I think there will be a large increase in the 
number of silos in this state in the next few years." 

Prof. A. D. Wilson writes as follows, to the Minneapolis Cement 
Stave Silo Company: 

"Observation of a large number of silos during the severe winter 

weather of 1912 has convinced us that the walls haven't a great deal to do 

with the freezing of silage. * * * * The only silos of which 

Prevents we know that did not f reeze were those having tight roofs and 

Freezing m which all of the doors were kept closed. There is evidently 

heat enough in ordinary silage to largely prevent freezing if the 

warm air generated from the silage can be kept in the silo." 

The average time required to construct a monolithic silo is from 10 
to 21 days, depending upon the height, number of men on the job, con- 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



.-1 



Time 
Required 
to Build 
Concrete 
Silos 



ditions of weather, and the height of wall accommodated l).v the 
forms at a single filling. Where the work is done by home labor 
occasionally more than 2 weeks are required. The block silo 
can usually be put up in 4 days to a week, depending upon its 
size and the number of block masons employed. Alter com- 
pletion it should be allowed to stand at least two weeks before 
filling, to allow the mortar to become firm and hard. Cement stave 
silos are commonly erected complete in 3 days, and cement plaster silos 
in about a week. If the silo is to be filled during the early part of 
September, work on the foundation should be commenced no later than 
August 20th. In all cases the silo should be completed two weeks 
before being subjected to the strain caused by filling. 

Two general methods of concrete construction are available for silo 
work — the monolithic and the concrete block. With the former method, 
the materials are hauled to the site of the silo and there mixed 
and placed within forms; the latter method requires that the 
block be made and cured in some convenient place, and later 
hauled to the site to be laid up in the wall. 

Each method has certain advantages and disadvantages, 
but the matter of personal choice generally influences the decision 
to build either with monolithic walls or with block. The monolithic silo 
is generally the easier of the two for inexperienced persons to build, and is 
usually a little cheaper than the block, as it does not require the service of 
good masons or the use of a block machine; the block silo, however, makes 
the use of forms unnecessary, produces a wall with continuous vertical 
air spaces, and slightly reduces the amount of materials used. 



A 

Comparison 
of the 
Monolithic 
and Concrete 
Block Types 




Andrew Smith's Concrete Silo, 
with freezing. 



No trouble here 



Silo on Government Reservation at Chilocca. 
Oklahoma. 



52 



CONCRETE SILOS 



Building the Concrete Silo 

Where the services of reliable concrete silo contractors can be ob- 
tained, it is generally advantageous to have the silo built under contract. 
r The cost of silos built in this manner is generally no more than 

Work* 1 otherwise, when quality of the work, convenience and time are 

considered. The advantages of good system, competent over- 
seeing and general experience in the work justifies a greater cash outlay 
than is needed for home-made silos, although in a great many cases the 
actual expense of a silo built under contract is no greater than if built 
by the owner. If it is desired to put up the silo during a time of year 
when work is over-plentiful or farm labor scarce, building the silo under 
contract will solve the labor problem. Cement stave silos are built under 
contract exclusively, by lessees holding territory rights from the owners 
of the Play ford cement stave patent rights. 

Of 110 concrete silos recently inspected, 74 were built by contractors, 
9 by the owners under experienced foremen, and 27 by the owners without 
any assistance whatever. In over one-half of the cases where the silo was 
built under contract the owner furnished a part of the labor, and in about 
one-fifth of the cases the owners furnished the cement. Almost without 
exception, the owners of contract-built silos furnished the sand and gravel, 
for which they received credit on their accounts, at a stipulated rate. 




Concrete Roof constructed with Warford 's forms. 
Si'.o on George Harvey 's farm near Batavia, 
Illinois. 



Monolithic Concrete Silo in Process of Construc- 
tion by students of South Dakota State College, 
Brookings, South Dakota. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 53 

In a large number of instances farmers have built their own silos under 
the supervision of a competent foreman hired by the day. Foremen who 
make a business of superintending silo work frequently have 
M/orAr Under ^heir own forms which they rent to the farmer for a nominal 
Foremen sum. When the silo is built under contract, the farmer usually 

does the hauling and sometimes furnishes the materials and a 
part of the labor; when a foreman is employed, the farmer must buy and 
haul the materials, furnish the labor, and pay for the work as it progresses, 
without an accurate previous knowledge of the cost. In addition he some- 
times has to build his own forms. 

If neither a good contractor nor a good foreman is available, the 
farmer may undertake the building of the silo, but he must pay close at- 
tention to the details of the work. The inexperienced worker 
Work Under w ^ n concrete too often considers cement a sort of magic material 
Supervision which may be used without precaution and still secure first class 
work. On the contrary, precautionary measures are constantly 
necessary and the directions given on the following pages must be care- 
fully complied with if the best results are to be obtained. To acquaint 
inexperienced contractors as well as those desiring to build their own silos 
with the best practice, is the purpose of the two sections immediately fol- 
lowing. A later section is devoted to a description of several of the leading 
commercial silo forms now upon the market. 

Where there are several silos to be built in the immediate vicinity, 
and it is desired to use home-made forms and do the work with home 

labor, a very considerable saving can be made by co-operation. 
Co-operation \yith moderately fair weather, such as usually prevails from 

April to October, four or five farmers working together can 
construct one moderate size silo in an average time of less than two weeks, 
working but 4 hours per day, with one set of forms. In about two months' 
tiihe they can complete a good silo on the place of each, without having 
this work interfere seriously with general farm duties, and at a compara- 
tively small expense, as only one set of forms is used. 

There is no doubt but that time, labor and money can be saved by 
farmers through organizing concrete silo clubs. Where organizations like 
Farmers' Clubs, The Grange, etc., exist, members of such societies can 
undoubtedly combine and by hauling the materials co-operatively and 
purchasing them from local dealers in carload lots, the best prices can be 
obtained and a minimum amount of time and labor occupied. Neighbor- 
ing farmers may unite in the purchasing or renting of silo forms, silo cut- 
ters and fillers, and in the purchase of similar materials. 

"During the past season, five farmers in Barnes County, N. D., co-oper- 
ated in the building of concrete silos on their farms, buying their material 
in one lot, which alone made a considerable saving. Then they used two 
sets of forms, moving the crew from one silo to another, so that there 
was no time lost in waiting for the concrete to set. They also bought 
a silo cutter and filler for their combined use, so that by assisting each 
other in filling the silos the expense is reduced to the minimum. This 
is an example that can profitably be followed in every part of the Dak<~ 
Farmer Empire." — The Dakota Farmer, Aberdeen, South Dakota. 



54 



CONCRETE SILOS 



Foundations 

The site of the silo having been selected and its size determined, the 
excavation should be laid out. This may be done conveniently with a 
sweep similar to the one shown on this page. A heavy stake 
^th^w u* * s driven in the center of the place selected for the silo and allowed 
to project above the surface about 1 foot. The arm of the sweep 
may be made of a two-by-four at least 2 feet longer than one-half the 
inside diameter of the silo. The arm swings about the stake as a center, 
being held to the latter by a large spike. A chisel-shaped board or tem- 
plate is placed as shown on the arm of the sweep, so that when the latter 
is swung around the stake, the chisel-shaped board will describe a circle 
with a diameter 2^ feet greater than the inside diameter of the pro- 
posed silo. This will give the outer line of the excavation and also 
foundation. 




Simple sweep, convenient in laying out excavation. 



The excavation should be carried to a depth not to exceed 6 feet below 
the floor of the barn where the silage is to be fed. The objection to going 
p .. deeper is that it adds to the labor in removing the silage. In 
all cases, however, the foundation should be established below 
frost. All of the earth within the line described by the sweep should be 
removed down to a point one foot from the bottom, and below this the 
excavation should be made the shape and size of the foundation, 2 feet 
wide by 1 foot in depth, so placed that the outer edge will come directly 
up to the edge of the excavation, assuming that the sides of the latter are 
perpendicular. 

If the silo is to be equipped with a concrete chute, the foundation for 
the chute should be put in at the same time as that for the silo. As the 
chute is rectangular in shape, no difficulty should be encountered in 
excavating for the foundation, which will be at the same depth as the 
silo foundation, and 2 feet in width by 1 foot in depth. 

The concrete for the foundations should be made in the proportion 
of one sack Portland cement to 3 cubic feet of coarse sand, to 5 cubic 
feet of screened gravel or crushed stone. The sand should be 
free from clay or organic matter, and the gravel or stone should 
contain no particle smaller in size than x /± inch. The materials 



-the 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



55 



must be thoroughly mixed and enough water added to give a quaky con- 
sistency. The concrete may usually be placed in the excavation without 
any forms whatever, but in some kinds of soil light boards, held in posi- 
tion by stakes, may be necessary. The top of the foundation must be 
levelled off with a straight edged board and spirit level. After 24 hours, 
the foundations will generally have hardened sufficiently so that the walls 
may be built upon them. Where soft ground or quicksand is encount- 
ered, the foundation may be made 3 or 4 feet in width, to provide plenty 
of footing. 

If a monolithic silo is to be built, the vertical reinforcing for the walls, 
consisting of 3^2-mch round rods spaced 3 feet apart, should be imbedded 
in the foundation a distance of 8 or 9 inches. If a block silo is to be 
built no vertical reinforcing need be placed. 

Table of Materials for Silo Footing and Floors 



Inside 
Diani. 
of Silo 
in Ft. 


1:3:5 
Con- 
crete 
Cu.Yds. 


Footings 


4 in. Base 

1:2:3 
Concrete 
Cu. Yds. 


Floors 


Footings and Floor 


Quantities 


Quantities 


Quantities 


Cement 
Bbls. 


Sand 
Yds. 


Gravel 
Yds. 


Cement 
Bbls. 


Sand 
Yds. 


Gravel 
Yds. 


Cement 
Bbls. 


Sand 
Yds. 


Gravel 
Yds. 


10 
12 
14 
16 

18 

20 

22 


2.44 
2.91 
3.37 

3.84 

4.31 

4.77 
5.24 


2.83 
3.38 
3.91 
4.45 

5.00 
5.53 
6.08 


1.27 
1.51 
1.75 
2.00 

2.24 

2.48 

2.72 


2.10 
2.50 
2.90 
3.30 

3.70 
4.10 
4.51 


.70 
1.07 
1.51 
2.04 

2.64 
3.32 
4.04 


1.22 

1.86 
2.63 
3.55 

4.59 

5.78 


.36 

.56 

.79 

1.06 

1.37 
1.73 


.54 

.82 

1.17 

1.57 

2.03 
2.56 


4.05 
5.24 
6.55 
8.00 

9.59 
11.31 


1.63 

2.07 
2.54 
3.06 

3.61 
4.21 


2.64 
3.32 
4.07 
4.87 

5.73 
6.06 



After the foundation is completed, the earth within should be dug out 
for a depth of about 8 inches, and a concrete floor built as shown below. 
The floor should be given a slight pitch in all directions to- 
ward the center, and, if necessary, an outlet to a line of drain 
tile should be put in. Outlets are not usually provided in silo floors, but 
in one or two instances silos have failed because of the pressure of a large 



The Floor 




\^-z l o"—^\ 



FboTirs&e. I 3-J5 Comcrete 



Concrete Silo Foundation or Footing and Concrete Floor, suitable for either monolithic or block silo, 
showing drain with bell trap; an important detail not to be needlessly overlooked. 



CONCRETE SILOS 



quantity of water accumulated under unusual conditions, with no provision 
for escape. In such cases the stress on the walls may reach two or three 
times that usually imposed by the silage. Although the majority of silos 
are not provided with a drain, it is undoubtedly a desirable feature. The 
top of the drain should be protected from accumulations on the silo floor, 
by a small wire mat. A 4-inch or 6-inch drain tile will be sufficient. The 
floor should be made of 1 St :3 concrete. A smooth finish is not considered 
necessary. 

Home-Made Forms for Monolithic Silos 

The word " Monolithic " coming from " mono " meaning one, and " lith" 
meaning stone, is used in concrete work to denote the objects of concrete 
which are one continuous solid mass or "as one stone." Contrasting with 
the monolithic are several systems of concrete construction such as the 
concrete block, concrete brick, concrete tile, unit column and slab, and 
cement plaster. The systems of concrete construction most commonly 
used are the monolithic and the concrete block. The object of thejpresent 
section is to supply the necessary information for constructing monolithic 
silos, in cases where the work is all done by the owner who is dependent 
entirely upon his own resources, or by contractors not familiar with this 
class of work. 

The form described and shown on the following pages is a combina- 
tion of the Wisconsin form, designed by the Agricultural Department 




Farmers' Institute Silo Form used very extensively in Wisconsin and perfected by David Imrie of 
Roberts, Wisconsin. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



57 



of the University at Madison, and the Fanners' [nstitute form 
Fo™s MOde desi 8' ned h y Messrs. John and David Imrie of Roberts, Wiscon- 
sin. Both of these forms have been used with great success 
among the farmers of Wisconsin and adjoining states and appear to be 
in many respects the most practical forms yet devised. On the oppo- 
site page is shown a model of the Farmers' Institute form. The model 
was obtained through the courtesy of Mr. David Imrie, who has in- 
troduced this form to hundreds of farmers in conjunction with the work 
of the Wisconsin Farmers' Institute. 

It is interesting to remember that there are more silos and probably 
more concrete silos in Wisconsin than in any other state in the union, and 
that today, Wisconsin leads in the value of dairy cows and the total value 
of their output. 

The list of materials for the inner form consists of sixteen segments 

or ribs made of sound 2x12 inch planks, sixteen cleats made of 2x16 inch 

n . . plank, a number of 1x4 inch matched floor boards, a quantity 

of Forms °f No. 28 gauge galvanized sheet iron, and sixty-four 3^2 mcn 

bolts, 4}/2 inches long. The dimensions of the ribs, which vary 

with the silo diameter, will be found in the table of materials given on 

page 62. 

The first thing to do is to secure the materials necessary for the forms 
as given in the table. Make a compass or sweep of a plank or board 
with a spike attached to one end (for a center) and a crayon securely held 
at the other end (for a marker). The distance from the spike to the marker 
should be 1 inch less than one-half the diameter of the silo (distance "R" 
on table) ; for a silo 14 feet in diameter the length of the sweep should be 




Second stage in using University of Wisconsin silo forms; illustrating the method of erecting 
scaffolding and holding it in place. 



58 



CONCRETE SILOS 



Yz of 14 feet less 1 inch, or 6 feet 11 inches. To lay out the ribs for the inner 
form, lay 2x12 inch planks down upon the barn floor or other flat surface 
and mark the arc of the circle on each one with a sweep. The arc must be 
made tangent to the outer edge of the board. This arc gives the outer 
curved edge of the rib. Measure off the distance "C" (from table of ma- 




Jb/nt in Outs/de form 



M 



a 



£/ei/at/'on 

Plan of home-made wall forms, and details of outside form. 



terials) along the curved edge of the rib, then mark off the ends of the rib 
in a radial direction using the sweep for a guide as it revolves around the 
center. 

After the ribs are cut out along the lines indicated all that remains to 
be done is to drill the holes for the bolts by which the ribs are to be joined 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT C O. 



59 



together, and to cut a hole 4x4^2 inches in size in the ((Miter of each ril> 
(see page 62), into which vertical members, consisting of two 2x4's 
spliced together, must fit. Sixteen ribs make two complete circles. 

The 2x6-inch cleats are made of 2x6-inch planks, cut off in lei ml bs of 
3 feet. The outer edge of the cleat is cut to the same circle as the outer edge 
of the ribs. Four 9/16-inch holes should be drilled along the center line 
of each cleat to receive the 2^-mch bolts, by which each will be secured 
with the two adjoining ribs. The lx4-inch flooring boards are sawed up 
into 3 foot lengths to make vertical surface boards for the inner form. 

To assemble each segment of the inner form, nail the lx4-inch flooring 



r^ 



Z'k 4 " wedge 



'/2x4'/z ' fio/tJ 



Faced with 
qalvanized iron 




Perspective of Inner Wall Form, showing position of 2-inch by 4-inch uprights upon which the form 
is raised. 



a 



Burr 



irrsZot--fati 



-&' *4* Cleats 



Z * 4 Tread 



'J .*> 



J 



Layer of tor paper 



, /*e. 

m matchea 
flooring 



g-lf 



Ti. 



T- 



jfHook 



\ 



^ ; ,V- ■,-■■:-: if/ 






^ 



£'-?£ 




Two-ply Wooden Door for Continuous Doorway in either monolithic or concrete block silo. 



60 



CONCRETE SILOS 



boards vertically on the outer edge of the ribs, the latter being placed two 
feet apart center to center. This will bring the center of the lower rib 6 
inches from the bottom of the form and the center of the other rib 6 inches 
from the top of the form. The floor boards should be securely nailed to 
the ribs. The surface will then be covered with galvanized sheet metal. 
Each of the eight segments may be made up in a similar manner and when 
bolted together, and if accurately made, they will form a true circle. 

At two points in the circle the ribs and cleats should be cut to permit 
inserting wedges. The flooring boards must also be beveled to fit wedges 
2x4 inches at the top, tapering to 2x3 inches at the bottom, as on page 59. 
After the segments of the form are bolted together, the wedges should be 
driven down. In removing the form, the wedges are first withdrawn and 
the segments then unbolted and loosened as much as necessary to make 
removal easy. 

The inner form is provided with a very simple arrangement for sup- 
porting and also for raising and lowering. Through the 4x4^-inch holes 
centrally located in each rib, a 4x4-inch upright, made of two 2x4 inch 
nailed together, passes. One-half inch holes are drilled in these uprights 
at intervals of 2^ feet, corresponding holes on all of the uprights being at 
the same level. The form is raised 2^ feet each day. After raising to a 
new position the bolts are inserted in the holes directly under the bottom 
ribs of the form. As the work progresses upward, additional 2x4's are 
spliced on alternately. 

The outside is made of heavy (No. 18 or 20 gauge) galvanized sheet 
steel, 3 feet in width. The form is made in two or more pieces, strips of 

heavy band iron being 
riveted to the ends of 
each piece, the ends be- 
ing turned out at right 
angles and provided 
with holes to receive 
the bolts by which ad- 
joining sections of the 
form are drawn to- 
gether. One-half inch 
threaded bolts 12 
inches long are used. 
These strips are clearly 
shown, although some- 
what exaggerated, in 
the illustration on page 
56. A heavy iron 
handle is put on the 
outside form opposite 
each pair of 2x4-inch 
uprights to facilitate 
raising. This can be 
done with a simple 
derrick arrangement 

Third stage in the use of University of Wisconsin silo forms, show- attached to the Up- 
mg method of building scaffolding, hoisting material and other ■ i , 

essential details. ~ "~ rights. 




UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



61 



Cost of 
Forms 



Horse 



Care in 
Bracing 
Supports 




'4^^TO^R- 



A Convenient and Easily Made Derrick for 
hoisting material. Design adopted from plans 
submitted by Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa. 



Forms of this type can be 

made for twenty-five to fifty dol- 
lars, and in one in- 
stance a farmer built 
an equipment similar 

to that described here at a cash 

outlay of only $15. Forms can 

generally be disposed of after use 

at a price equal to the total cash 

outlay to the builder, so that the 

use of these in building his silo 

only costs him his labor. A single 

set of forms is often used on several 

silos, each user selling his forms to 

the next man for a sum slightly 

less than what he paid for them. 
As the inner form is moved 

upwards it will be necessary to 
securely brace the up- 
right supports. This 
is very essential. No 
weak or rotten lumber 

should be used, and all bracing 

should be put where it will carry 

the load in the best and most se- 
cure manner. The double two-by-four supports recommended have 

ample strength to carry the weight if properly braced, but this precau- 
tion must not be neglected. 

The uprights should 
be braced at intervals of five 
feet (every two courses) with 
horizontal boards running 
from one upright to the next, 
and braced back against the 
wall as shown below. 
Boards l"x6" or 2"x4" will be 
large enough for this purpose. 
About every 15 feet braces 
should be run across to oppo- 
site uprights, 2x4" or 2x6" 
material being used. 

In handling the inner 
forms, great care must be ob- 
served in keeping 
Importance the inside sur f ace 

of the silo per- 
fectly smooth. 

Horizontal" Steps" in the Wall illustration showing the method of bracing the upright 
n rp r»flrtir>nlflrlv nblVftiormblp supports on which the inner forms rest. Bracing between 

are partlCUiany ODjeCllOIlclUit;. ad y a J cent upri g ht3 i3 put in every 5 feet; those joining 

Projections, Steps and Other opposite uprights are put on every 15 feet. 



of a Smooth 
Wall 




CONCRETE SILOS 



irregularities cause uneven settling of the silage, thus forming air pockets. 
The presence of an air pocket frequently causes silage to spoil on all sides 
within a foot of the pocket. 

The inner surfaces of the forms should be painted before using, with 

linseed oil, soft soap or equal parts boiled linseed oil and kerosene, which 

. . , will prevent the concrete from sticking. This treatment is 

Forms 9 & especially important where forms have wooden surfaces, but 

is also beneficial when applied to galvanized iron surfaces. 

Materials for Home Made Silo Forms for Silos with Inside 
Diameters 10 feet to 22 feet 



16—2 in. x 



plank 



4 ft. long for silo 10 feet diameter 



iy 2 h. " 


' " 12 " 


sy ft. " 


" " 14 " 


6K ft. " 


" " 16 " 


1% ft. " 


' " 18 " 


8 ft. " 


' " 20 " 


9 ft. " 


' " 22 " 



1 in. x 4 in. boards, for quantity see table. 

16 — 2 in. x 6 in. cleats — 3 ft. long, cut on radius "r. " 

2 in. x 4 in. studding planed. (Required quantity equal to 16 times the height of 
the silo.) 

No. 22 Gauge galvanized sheet iron 3 feet wide. (For quantity see table.) 
No. 18 Gauge galvanized sheet iron 3 feet wide. (For quantity see table.) 
64 — 3^-inch bolts 4^ inches long (for cleats). 

8 — J^-inch bolts 12 inches long (under forms). 

6 — 3^-inch bolts 12 inches long (for outer forms). 

4 Iron Straps yi in. x 2 in. x 3 ft. in. 
12 Iron Straps yi in. x 2 in. x 2 ft. 6 in. 









Dimensions 


of 






No. of 














bs 






1 in. x 6 in. 


No. 18 gauge 


No. 28 gauge 


Diameter 
of 














Boards 3 ft. 
long in 


galvanized 
sheet iron 3 ft. 


galvanized 
sheet iron 3 ft. 
















Silo 


A 




B 




C 




R 


inner form 


wide 


wide 


Feet 


Inches 


Ft. 


In. 


Ft. 


In. 


Ft. 


In. 




Ft. In. 


Ft. In. 


10 


8 


3 


3 


3 


10 14 


4 


11 


96 


36 7 


31 6 


12 


6M 


4 


IV?, 


4 


7% 


5 


11 


112 


42 10 


37 8 


14 


6 


4 


lOfci 


5 


5% 


6 


11 


134 


49 3 


44 


16 


5 


5 


9 


6 


ZVo 


7 


11 


152 


55 6 


50 


18 


m 


6 


m 


7 


OH 


8 


11 


168 


61 9 


56 6 


20 


3 


7 


*% 


7 


9*4 


9 


11 


192 


68 


62 10 


22 


2K 


8 


3 


8 


7M 


10 


11 


£08 


74 5 


69 2 




Inner form ribs. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



63 



Doorways 



There has been considerable discussion as to the kind of doorway best 
adapted to concrete silos. This is solely a matter of preference. Both 
types have their advocates and advantages, but primarily care should 
be exercised to see that the doorways are made in such a manner as to al- 
low the doors to fit tightly so that they will be practically airtight. 

Continuous and non-continuous doorways are used about equally in 
monolithic silo construction and the question of which one to use is gener- 
ally settled by personal choice. The continuous doorway has the advantage 
of providing a larger space through which to throw the silage and for this 
reason is preferred by many. The non-continuous doorways, as used by 
some of the best contractors, have no disadvantage except they provide a 
smaller space through which to remove the silage. 

A satisfactory continuous doorway can be made by forming concrete 
jambs on both sides of the opening. This is easily accomplished by in- 
r . serting between the forms, at proper distances apart, vertical 

Doorways wooden forms to mold the face of the jamb and the recesses into 
which the doors will fit. Where the concrete chute is built sim- 
ultaneously with the silo walls, the vertical jamb forms will extend from 
the inner wall form to the inner chute form as shown on page 81. If the 
silo walls are constructed without the chute, the jamb forms must be 
placed between the inner and the outer wall forms. 



/ bar cot/ered 




Method of Placing Reinforcement in Monolithic Concrete Silo and Building Continuous Doorway. 
The rod reinforcement and method of tying at the silo doorway are shown at the left. Triangle mesh 
reinforcement and method of tying at doorway is shown on the right. 



64 



CONCRETE SILOS 



Doors 



The forms for casting the face of the jambs may consist of 2-inch 
planks of a width equal to the distance between the wall forms. Strips of 
2x2-inch material should be nailed to the face of the planks so as to form 
2x2-inch vertical recesses on the inside of the opening. Horizontal slots, to 
accommodate the ladder rounds, will have to be made in the planks at in- 
tervals of 18 inches. All surfaces of wood which will come into contact 
with the concrete should be planed and oiled, which will insure a smooth 
surface and prevent the wood from adhering to the concrete. 

The distance between face of the jambs should be 30 inches and the 
jamb forms rigidly maintained in a vertical position and at proper distance 
apart. 

Spacers consisting of 2x4 's, at intervals of two feet, will hold the 
jamb forms apart rigidly and prevent them from bulging from the pressure 
of the concrete. The vertical jamb forms may be made in sections of 
any convenient length, preferably from six to twelve feet. 

As soon as the silo wall has been brought up to the level of the barn 
floor the vertical wooden frames are placed in position, great care being 
taken to have them absolutely vertical. 

The doors for the continuous doorway may be made of 2-inch plank- 
ing, preferably tongue-and-grooved. The doors should be 34 inches in 
width and 30 inches in height. Five pieces of planking 6 inches 
wide, or 4 pieces 8 inches wide may be used conveniently. A 
%-inch hole is drilled on the vertical center line of each plank to accommo- 
date the bolt and hook by which the door is held to the horizontal reinforc- 
ing across the door opening. The bolts used have a screw eye on the outer 
side to which hangs a hook made of heavy steel wire. 

Non-continuous doors are perhaps easier to build than continuous 

doorways, and if the owners are satis- 
fied that they provide suffi- 
cient room for getting the 
silage out conveniently, there 
is no objection to their use, 

although on the other hand, they pos- 
sess no great advantage over doors of 

the continuous type. The arguments 

often heard that the non-continuous 

door silo is a stronger type than the 

other, and vice versa, carry little weight, 

as either type may be made sufficiently 

strong. 

Non-continuous doors are often 

put in with a distance of about 2 Y2 

feet between them, but the spacing 

may vary to suit the individual owner. 

In all cases the arches between the 

doors must contain an amount of rein- 

£<-.<».»; *-.,*. „„,.:„„! „4- 4-„ -i-l, f- n „ ■ Non-continuous door, made of double layers 

forcing equivalent to the lull amount of flooring with building paper between. 



Non- 
continuous 
Doors 




UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



65 




Wooden Form for non-continuous doorway. 



Doors 



of horizontal reinforcing put 

around the silo. Thus, if the 
doors are 3 feet in height, with ;i 
distance of 2^ feet between 
them, the horizontal reinforcing 
in the space between the doors 
should be equivalent in amount 
to that placed in 5]/ 2 feet of the 
wall where there are no doors. 

On this page is shown a form 

for a non-continuous door open- 

ing. The bottom and 

Form and to P P ieceS are made 
Frame °^ 2x6-inch plank cut 

to the arc of a circle 
with diameter the same as the 
outer diameter of the silo wall. 
The two sides are made of 2x4 's. 
A frame of lighter material is 
placed around the outside of the 
form for the purpose of making 
a recess two inches deep around 
the opening on the inner side of 
the wall, into which the door will 
fit. This frame is tapered to 
permit removal from the wall as soon as the concrete has hardened. 
It may then be used again for the next doorway above. 

If desired, a door frame of small angle iron may be used to protect the 
corners of the concrete. The frame should be slipped on over the form, and 
both frame and form then placed in position. The angle iron should be 
cut a few inches longer than the dimensions of the opening and the ends 
embedded in the concrete. The frame should also be anchored to the 
concrete by large spikes. Holes to receive the spikes should be drilled 
in the angles, 12 inches apart. The spikes should be bent at right 
angles to secure a better hold in the wall. 

The doors may best be made of two thicknesses of lx6-inch matched 
flooring with a layer of tar paper between. The lx6-inch boards are held 
together by two lx4-inch cleats across the top and bottom, and 
one 2x4-inch cleat across the center. The middle cleat is made 
larger than the others in order to take care of the strain caused by the large 
bolt in the center. A 2x4, 40 inches long, or a similar piece of material, 
is placed on the bolt, making a large "button" by which the door is held 
to the wall. The door is clearly shown on the opposite page. 

One thing should be remembered by the farmer, the rural contractor 
and others who are constructing silos — that door jambs and the doors be so 
constructed that there is no exposed surface of steel against the silage. 
This is one reason why concrete jambs have been constructed, and are 
recommended as the best form of construction. 



66 



CONCRETE SILOS 



Constructing Monolithic Silo Walls 

As soon as the foundation has hardened under favorable conditions for 
at least two days the wall forms may be placed in position. Much care should 
be taken to locate them centrally and in such a manner that the sides are 
perpendicular. The 4x4-inch uprights should be carefully put in position 
at this time, being supported on wooden blocks or flat stones. After the 
inner form is in position, but before the outer form is placed, the horizontal 
reinforcing rods for the first three feet of wall should be wired to the ver- 
tical rods which were placed in foundation as previously mentioned. The 
outer forms should then be placed in position and tightened, with the small 
wooden spacers in place. Before placing the concrete, it will be necessary 
to clean off the surface of the foundation and moisten it thoroughly. 
The wall forms, having been previously painted with linseed oil or soft 
soap to prevent sticking, may then be filled with slushy concrete made 
in the proportion of one sack of Portland cement to 2J/2 cubic feet of 
coarse sand, to 4 cubic feet of screened gravel or crushed stone, all of the 
latter being between l^-inch and l^-inch in size. 

During the summer 24 hours are usually enough for concrete to harden 
before raising the forms, but in cool weather a longer time will be required. 
If the work be undertaken while there is danger of freezing, the usual cold 
weather precautions must be observed. In such cases the materials should 
be heated, or at least free from frost, and mixed with hot water. The 





'••• 



Concrete Silo built by W. H. Warford of Geneva, 
at LaFox, Illinois, for John Harvey. 



Homemade Concrete Silo of Iowa farmers, C. N. 
Seurle and his son. Cost of material, $86. 



UNIVERSAL P () II T L A N D C E M E N T C O. G7 



Tables 
Materials 



work in the forms must be protected for several days with manure, straw 
or a canvas jacket under which live steam is run. 

The table below shows the approximate cubic yards of concrete 
required for the walls of monolithic silos of various sizes, with continuous 
doors, and walls 6 inches thick. The table on page 68 shows the quantities 
of cement, sand and gravel or stone required for silo walls, using 
)°f e proportions of 1 sack of cement to 2 3^2 cubic feet of sand and 4 
cubic feet of screened gravel or crushed stone. It can hardly be 
expected that these tables will be exact in all cases, as the difference in 
sand and gravel used, as well as other considerations, affect the quantities 
of materials to a considerable extent. These tables are accurate to within 
10 per cent. 

r^ 

Table Giving Cubic Yards of Concrete Required for Walls of 
Monolithic Silos with Continuous Doors 

For additional amounts required for Foundation, Chute and Roof, see Pages 55 and 89. 

Walls 6 Inches Thick 







INSIDE DIAMETER OF SILO IN FEET 




Height of 
Silo in 




















Feet 


10 


12 


14 


16 


18 


20 


26 


14.68 












28 


15.81 


19.07 










30 


16.94 


20.43 


23.92 








32 


18.07 


21.79 


25.52 


29.24 






34 


19.20 


23.15 


27.11 


31.06 


35.02 




36 


20.32 


24.51 


28.70 


32.89 


37.08 


41.27 


38 


21.45 


25.87 


30.30 


34.72 


39.14 


43.56 


40 


22.58 


27.23 


31.89 


36.55 


41.20 


45.85 


42 




28.59 


33.49 


38.37 


43.26 


48.15 


44 




29.96 


35.08 


40.20 


45.32 


50.44 


46 




31.32 


36.68 


42.03 


47.38 


52.78 


48 




32.68 


38.27 


43.85 


49.44 


55.02 


50 




34.05 


39.86 


45.68 


51.50 


57.3-2 


52 






41.46 


47.51 


53.56 


59.61 


54 






43.05 


49.34 


55 . 62 


61.90 


56 






44.65 


51.16 


57.68 


64.19 


58 






46.24 


52.99 


59.74 


66.49 


60 






47.84 


54.82 


61.80 


68.78 



To release the inner form, drive out the keys and if need be, remove a 
few of the bolts. Slide up the inner form on the upright supports and secure 
in the new position by the bolts passed through the supports 
just below the form, as previously explained. The inner form will 
then be bolted together again and the keys driven into place. 
After attaching horizontal reinforcing rods to the vertical rods 
for the second course, the bolts in the outer form are loosened 
and the form raised by means of ropes attached to wire handles and run- 



Moving up 
Forms 
for the 
Next Course 



68 



CONCRETE SILOS 



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33.84 

35.72 
37.60 

39.48 
41.36 
43.25 
45.12 

47.00 
48.89 
50.76 
52.64 

54.52 
56.40 


00 










28.72 
30.41 
32.09 
33.78 

35.47 
37.16 
38.85 
40.54 

42.23 
43.92 
45.61 
37.30 

48.99 
50.68 


CO 








23.98 

25.47 
26.97 
28.47 
29.97 

31.46 
32.96 
34.46 
35.96 

37.46 
38.96 
40.46 
41.95 

43.45 
44.95 


<tf 






19.61 
20.93 

22.23 
23.53 
24.85 
26.15 

27.46 
28.77 
30.08 
31.38 

32.68 
34.00 
35.30 
36.61 

37.92 
39.22 


©* 




15.64 
16.75 

17.88 

18.98 
20.10 
21.22 
22.33 

23.44 

24.57 
25.68 
26.80 

27.92 












o 


12.04 
12.96 
13.89 
14.82 

15.74 
16.66 
17.59 
18.52 






















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21.05 

22.22 
23.38 

24.56 

25.72 
26.89 
28.06 

29.33 
30.40 
31.57 

32.74 

33.91 

35.08 


00 










17.86 
18.91 
19.96 
21.01 

22.06 
23.11 
24.16 
25.21 

26.27 
27.32 
28.37 
29.42 

30.47 
31.52 


o 








14.91 

15.84 
16.77 
17.71 
18.64 

19.57 
20.50 
21.44 
22.36 

23.30 
24.23 
25.16 
26.09 

27.02 
27.96 


■* 






12.20 
13.02 

13.83 
14.64 
15.45 
16.26 

17.08 
17.89 
18.71 
19.52 

20.33 
21.14 
21.96 

22.77 

23.58 
24.40 


Of 

1— 1 




9.73 
10.42 
11.11 

11.80 
12.50 
13.19 
13.89 

14.58 
15.28 
15.97 
16.67 

17.37 












o 


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57.37 
60.55 
63.73 

66.94 
70.11 
73.29 
76.48 

79.67 
82.86 
86.04 
89.20 

92.42 
95.60 


00 










48.68 
51.54 
54.40 

57.27 

60.13 
62.99 
65.86 
68.72 

71.59 

74.45 
77.31 
80.18 

83.04 
85.90 


o 








40.64 

43.17 

45.77 
48.26 
50.80 

53.33 

55.88 
58.42 
60.95 

63.50 
66.04 
68.58 
71.11 

73.66 
76.20 


■* 






33.25 
35.47 

37.68 
39.89 
42.12 
44.33 

46.55 
48.76 
50.99 
53.21 

55.41 
57.63 
59.84 
62.06 

64.27 
66.50 


s* 




26.51 
28.40 
30.29 

32.18 
34.07 
35.86 
37.85 

39.74 
41.64 
43.53 
45.43 

47.33 












o 

I— < 


20.41 
21.38 
25.55 
25.12 

26.69 
28.24 
29.82 
31.39 






















Height 

of 

Silo 

Ft. 


OOOOOf "#CO00O Ot'JICDOO OIS^ICO ooo 
Q< Of CO CO CO CO GO •* "*■*■*•* «5 «5 ifj «5 »0 CO 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



G9 



ning over the little brackets on the uprights. When the outer form is 
raised to a position flush with the inner form, the lower bolt should be 
tightened until the form presses snugly against the wall; spacers should 
then be placed between the forms and the remaining two bolts tightened 
until the proper spacing is secured. The forms are then ready for the next 
filling. 

Immediately before the concrete is placed for each succeeding course, 

the surface of that previously laid should be thoroughly cleaned off and 

, . . moistened, and coated with a cement and water grout of about the 

Courses consistency of cream. This precaution is necessary to secure a 

good bond between the courses. It should be observed in all 

cases, as the pressure of the silage is apt to force moisture through any seams 

which might occur because of imperfect bond. Concreting should not be 

discontinued with a course partially completed, but if this is unavoidable 

the concrete surface should be left as nearly horizontal as possible. 

Although some forms are made 3 feet in height, the height of the wall 
built at each filling (after the first) will be 2 feet 6 inches, allowing the 
forms to cover 6 inches of finished wall when in position to be 
wntF h ^^ eo ^ again. Experiments have shown that this is about the 
Filling Des t height to fill at one time when using such forms, as it makes 

about one-half day's work for the average farm crew when the 
mixing is done by hand. In reasonably good weather it should be possi- 
ble for home labor to raise the forms each morning, refill in the forenoon 
and have the remainder of the day free for other farm duties. 




Monolithic Silo 14 feet 3 inches by 40 feet, hold- 
ing over 200 tons; built by G. A. Ford of Oswego, 
N. Y., for county. 



Concrete Block Silo in Minnesota, on G. W. 
Long's farm at Detroit. Courtesy of Holmes 
Stone and Lumber Co., Detroit, Minnesota. 



70 



CONCRETE SILOS 



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UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 71 

The following estimate of labor required to construct monolithic 
silos is based on experience in a large number of cases, the materials being 
Labor mixed by hand. The labor here given is approximate, and docs 

Required not include that required to haul materials: 

Silos 12 feet in diameter 10 to 16 days (4 hours per day) 4 men 
Silos 16 feet in diameter 10 to 16 days (4 hours per day) 4 to 5 men 
Silos 20 feet in diameter 10 to 20 days (4 hours per day) 5 men 
Silos 22 feet in diameter 12 to 20 days (4 hours per day) 5 men 

Steel rods are more commonly used than other kinds of reinforcing 
only because they come in standard sizes, the strength of which is 
„ . , . definitely known. Any other kind of reinforcing, such as Triangle 
mesh, having one section rigidly attached to another, will do 
the work equally well, and may be successfully used if a sufficient quan- 
tity is put in to give a cross-section area equal to that of the rods recom- 
mended on chart on page 72. The quantities and weights of Triangle 
mesh required for varying heights and diameters of silos are given in a 
table appearing on pages 100 and 101 of the appendix. 

For all monolithic silos, where rod reinforcing is used instead of 

Triangle mesh, the vertical reinforcing should be 3^2-inch round or twisted 

~ . , rods, placed in the middle of the wall at intervals of about 3 

Rods feet - . ,.,.„... 

Choosing the horizontal reinforcing is a different problem. 
Its size and spacing depends upon the diameter and height of the silo. 
The steel rings prevent internal pressure from bursting the walls. This 
pressure is due to the weight of the silage inside. At the top the weight 
of the silage is least and only a small amount of steel is needed. But 
farther down the weight increases and more steel must be used. At the 
bottom the entire weight of silage tends to burst the walls and the steel 
should be heaviest and closest together to take the maximum strain. 
All silos must be reinforced in some manner. The monolithic silo gives 
perfect protection to the reinforcement, from rust and fire. The graphic 
chart on the following page gives the sizes of rods and spacing for all 
common diameters and heights. The figures are liberal enough to give 
perfect safety. 

All horizontal reinforcement must be made into continuous bands 
by splicing. At the splices the rods must be lapped for a distance equal 
to sixty-four times their diameter and tightly wrapped with 
Making and w j re Yot 3^-inch rods this lapping would be 16 inches. For 
Rings *" /^-inch rods 24 inches and for }^-inch rods 32 inches. Before 
the outer form is set up for the first ring of concrete, the hori- 
zontal reinforcing should be wired to the vertical rods, at least as high 
as the height of the forms. The position of the reinforcing is clearly 
shown in the section on page 63. The first band should be placed 2 inches 
above the foundation. From this point upward the spacing is indicated 
in the chart. For each ring of concrete the steel should be similarly 
placed. If a concrete cornice is built an extra reinforcing band is placed 
around the top to strengthen it. 

The graphic chart on the opposite page can be better understood if 
a specific example is given. Suppose that you wish to build a silo 14 feet 



72 



CONCRETE SILOS 




12 



IQ 






O 24 

k 





0. 



30 



36 



42 



48 



54 



eo 






1 



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Graphic chart showing method of choosing horizontal reinforcing of 
The amount of reinforcing will vary with the height and diameter of 



round rods for a monolithic silo, 
the silo. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 73 



Example m diameter and 42 feet high, inside dimensions. The charl 
has six columns, one for each diameter. Each column shows 
the sizes of round rods and spacing for a silo 60 feet high. For a silo 12 
feet high the reinforcing will be exactly the same as for the upper 42 feet 
of a 60-foot silo, so that the chart may be used for all heights. At i In- 
left are figures showing the distance from roof down. Locate the 14-foot 
column at the top of the chart and run your finger down to the cross line 
marked 42 feet. That is the bottom of your silo. Now read off the sizes 
and spacing for the first 12 feet, from 42 up to 30 feet. It will require 
^/g-inch rods, spaced 6 inches apart. For the next 12 feet, from the 
30-foot level up to 18 feet from the top, ^-inch rods are still to be used 
but spaced 8 inches apart. You have now taken care of the first 24 feet. 
There are 18 feet more to build. From the 18-foot line up to the roof, 
^-inch rods are again to be used but spaced wider apart, 12 inches, because 
the weight of the silage above is less. In this case only 3^-inch rods are 
required, but other heights and diameters call for rods from J^-inch to 
3^-inch in size. 

If you wish to build a silo 16 feet in diameter and 60 feet high, you 
will read off the sizes and spacing of rods from the 16-foot column, start- 
ing up from the bottom, at the line marked 60 feet. 

The horizontal reinforcing for the chute is the same for all sizes of 
silos. It consists of 3^-inch round or twisted square rods spaced 18 inches 
apart. 

Reinforcing rods are sold by weight in stock lengths. One-quarter- 
inch rods weigh 16.84 pounds per 100 feet. Three-eighths-inch round 
rods 37.5 pounds per 100 feet. One-half-inch round rods 66.7 pounds 
per 100 feet. 

The work of constructing the silo will be made much easier if a con- 
venient method of hoisting materials is adopted at the start. The old 
„ . . scheme of raising the concrete by hand with a rope and a bucket 

Materials wastes time and materials and means much unnecessary labor. 
Materials may best be raised with a rope and pulley, the latter 
attached either to a derrick frame, as shown on page 61, or suspended 
from a frame resting on top of forms, the power in either case being fur- 
nished by a horse. The derrick shown in the figure may be built to 
any height required, in the following manner: Pieces marked "A" 
(2x6 inches, 16 feet long) are spliced together until a height at least 6 feet 
greater than that of the completed walls is obtained. Pieces "B" (1x6 
inches) are nailed to "A" in such a manner as to make an I-beam as shown 
in the sectional view in the center. The cross arm is made of a 2x6-inch 
piece 3 feet long spiked to piece "A" and prevented from raising at the 
back end by piece "B" which runs flush with the top of the arm. The 
brace is made of 2x6-inch material, 3 feet 2 inches long. The three No. 9 
guy wdres are fastened to the cross arm and brought around in grooves 
provided for the purpose and fastened to stakes driven in the ground for a 
considerable distance from the bottom of the derrick. This device, winch 
has been recommended by the Iowa Experiment Station, is said to have 
been tested and found safe for loads less than 400 pounds. 



74 CONCRETE SILOS 



Building Concrete Block Silos 

Hollow concrete block silos are popular in all of the northern states 
and more especially so in sections where the winters are extremely cold. 
The cost of concrete block silos is often a trifle more than for those of 
monolithic construction, although this is not true in a great many cases. 
The best concrete block silos are those erected by contractors who have 
made a specialty of this class of work. Good block silos can be put up with 
home-made blocks and by home labor, but where there is a reliable block 
contractor in the vicinity it generally pays, in a saving of time as well as 
in numerous other ways, to have the work done by persons with previous 
experience. 

When the work is done by a contractor, the owner should take the 
precaution of examining the blocks which go into his silo, rejecting those 
F . . that are damaged or of an inferior quality. A crack of any size, 
Blocks or broken or crumbly edges, indicate a weakness in the block and 

make it unsuited for use. Blocks may be tested for their water- 
resisting qualities by placing a small amount of water on the surface and 
observing whether this remains or is absorbed. A block which readily 
absorbs moisture is obviously unsuited for silo work, which dampness 
must not penetrate. Warped and distorted blocks should be discarded 
because of their unsightly appearance. 

The foundation already described will give as good satisfaction for the 
block silo as for the monolithic (see pages 54 and 55). The top of the 

. footing must be made perfectly level, being tested frequently 
Blocks with a straight edge. As soon as the footing has sufficiently 

hardened, the top should then be cleaned off and moistened 
and a coat of slushy cement mortar 3^-inch thick put on. The first 
band of reinforcing should then be put in, and the first row of block laid 
on this mortar, beginning the blocks at the two ends of the wall next to 
the doorway and continuing around. The blocks may be more conveniently 
set in a true circle if a sweep similar to the one used in laying out the foun- 
dation is used here. Should the blocks fail to meet exactly, the circle should 
be enlarged or made a little smaller, whichever happens to be the more 
convenient. A guide board with a convex curved edge, cut on a circle of 
the same diameter as the inside of the silo, should then be made and used 
in place of, or in conjunction with, the sweep in laying up the remaining 
courses. 

The cement mortar should consist of one sack of Portland cement to 2 
cubic feet of clean sand, with the possible addition of a small quantity of 
The Mortar hyd rat ed lime (not over 10 per cent) to make it easier to work. 
Before laying up the blocks see that they are thoroughly soaked 
which will prevent them from drawing moisture from the mortar. No more 
mortar should be mixed at one time than can be used up within 30 minutes 
after first moistening. 

Most failures reported on block silos have been due to a lack of 
sufficient reinforcing, caused in most cases by the overconfidence of the 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



75 



Reinforcing DimQl er m tfte str ength of the blocks, or failure to realize the enor- 
mous outward pressure of the silage. Horizontal reinforcing is 
of the most importance and must not be overlooked. Vertical reinforcing 
in block silos is not necessary. The table on page 77 shows the size of rod 
which should be placed between each row of block or in the groove in each 
row of block, if such a groove is provided. Reinforcing rods in block silos 
are not lapped in the ordinary fashion, but are anchored around a block or 
the ends are hooked together. 

For illustration, assume that you are to build a concrete block silo 
32 feet high, 16 feet in diameter, with blocks 8 inches in height. The 

E . right amount of horizontal reinforcing can be found by referring 

to the table on page 77. The height of silos, in courses of six 
blocks (or 4 feet), is given in the left-hand column. As the silo is to be 
32 feet high, run down to the figures 28-32. This represents the bottom 4 
feet of the silo. Run your finger across the page to the column headed 16, 
the desired diameter, and the fraction, %, indicates that a 3^-inch round 
rod is required between each two courses of blocks, between the 32-28 foot 
levels. Following up this column (16 feet), you will see that ^g-inch 



f/ote : Openings f and 3 to be 
filled yvt'th concrete the full 
heiyhth of s//o. 



O, 



d?, 



/ Gas-pipe over ^f" rod 




o 




\ 



% 



Continuous Door Opening for a Concrete Block Silo, showing the method of fastening reinforcing rods 
to the door frames and anchoring rods in the end blocks. 



76 



CONCRETE SILOS 



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UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



77 






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78 CONCRETE SILOS 

round rods are required between the 28-24-foot levels and also continuing 
up to and including the 12-foot level. From the 12-foot level up to 
the top, 34-inch round rods are required between each two courses. 

The reinforcing is commonly laid in the mortar between the courses 
of block, the strength of the mortar and the downward pressure of the 
blocks above being depended upon to keep the rods in place 
Recesses for un( j er loaded conditions. In the best practice, however, blocks 
Rod ° ra are use< i which have a recess in the top face deep enough to ac- 
commodate the reinforcing rod. Recesses are generally put 
about two inches in from the outside of the block. 

Concrete jambs for the continuous doorways of concrete block silos 
may be made as shown on page 75, and faces of the jambs should be the 
same as those on the continuous door jambs of monolithic 
Doorways silos, as described on page 63. The jambs may be easily con- 
structed by the use of simple box molds, recesses being formed 
on the inside of the jambs by the use of 2x2-inch cleats. As the reinforc- 
ing rods are laid upon successive courses of blocks, they are cut off so that 
the ends will extend out far enough to be firmly fastened to the 3^-inch 
vertical rods to which the horizontal ladder rods are attached. These 
vertical rods should be located near the center of the jamb. The doors for 
the continuous doorway are the same as for the continuous doorways of 
monolithic silos, as described on page 64. 



Home-Made Blocks 

A number of farmers in various parts of the country have put up con- 
crete block silos with blocks made during spare time with a block machine, 
or a home-made mold. Good blocks can be made by either method, but 
the use of a machine quickens the work, and does it in a more uniform 
manner with the expenditure of a great deal less labor. 

For the benefit of those who may wish to manufacture silo blocks, 
with a machine designed for that purpose, the following list of manufac- 
Block turers, who exhibited their machines at recent Chicago Cement 

Machine Shows, is given. There are also a large number of other machines 
Manufac- on the market, capable of making good concrete silo blocks. 
turers Full information regarding these machines will be gladly given 

by any of the manufacturers listed below. 

Anchor Concrete Stone Co., Rock Rapids, Iowa. 

Ashland Steel Range & Mfg. Co., Ashland, Ohio. 

Barron & Harridge, Insurance Exchange Bldg., Chicago. 

Cement Machinery Co., Jackson, Mich. 

Century Cement Machine Co., Rochester, N. Y. 

The J. B. Foote Foundry Co., Fredericktown, Ohio. 

Hay den Automatic Block Machine Co., Columbus, Ohio. 

Hobbs Concrete Machinery Co., Detroit, Mich. 

Hurst Silo Co., 819 Exchange Ave., Chicago, 111. 

Ideal Concrete Machinery Co., Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Inman Concrete Block Machine Co., Beloit, Wis. 

Lansing Co., Lansing, Michigan. 

Miles Manufacturing Co., Jackson, Mich. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



7!) 



Multiplex Concrete Machinery Co., Elmore, Ohio. 
Northwestern Distributing Co., Sioux City, Iowa. 
Sioux City Engine and Machinery Co., Sioux City, la. 
Summer Bros. Mfg. Co., Urbana, 111. 
U. S. Gas Machine Co., Muskegon, Mich. 




..L 1^ 



Home-made silo block mold. 



The mold shown above is a modification of that used by Wm. Stoll, 
of Lansing, Mich., to construct blocks for his silo. It can be used to 
„ . make blocks of any length up to 24 inches and of any width up 

Molds to 8 inches. The height of the blocks may be 8 inches or less. 

The mold can be made from a piece of old railroad tie 30 inches 
long, 8 inches wide and Q}/2 inches high sawed on the arc of a circle, 
with a diameter 4 inches greater than that of the inside of the silo. 
One-half-inch holes are drilled 1 3^2 inches from each end to receive 18- 
inch bolts, by which the sides of the mold are held at the desired distance 
apart. The end pieces are made of 1-inch planed lumber and have tapered 
wooden blocks 8 inches long, 5 inches wide and %-inch thick screwed to 
them for the purpose of making end cores on the blocks. The end pieces 
are held in place by wedge-shaped wooden blocks inserted between them 
and the bolts. If hollow blocks are desired, the air spaces may be pro- 
vided by cores made of tapered 4x4-inch pieces. The inside of the mold 
should be well greased before use to prevent the concrete from sticking. 

Although concrete blocks are made in a large variety of sizes, those 

most commonly used in silo work are 8 inches high, 8 inches thick and 

„. , either 16 or 24 inches long, with half and quarter lengths as re- 

Block quired. Blocks of these sizes are recommended as preferable to 

those less than 8 inches in height which require more labor to 

lay because of the greater number required, or blocks more than 8 inches 

in height which are unhandy because of their weight. 



80 



CONCRETE SILOS 



Concrete Chutes 

A permanent chute of concrete is a valuable adjunct to any concrete 
or masonry silo. The same arguments presented for the concrete silo 
stand for the chute. The concrete chute is substantial and permanent, 
fireproof and cold-proof, and it greatly improves the appearance of the silo. 
Chutes in use in various parts of the country vary in size from 2 feet 
square to about 5 feet square (inside dimensions), but the former size is 
„. , much too small and the latter larger than need be. For the aver- 

Chute a § e s ^° a chute 2^2 feet by 3 feet in inside dimensions is recom- 

mended. The outer dimensions will then be 3^ feet by 4J^ 
feet, the walls being 6 inches thick. A monolithic chute of this size will 
require one sack of cement, 2}/2 cubic feet of sand and 4 cubic feet of 
gravel, per foot of height. For the block silo, the size should be such as 
will be accommodated by whole and half blocks. The outer dimensions 
of a hollow block chute (using 8x8x1 6-inch blocks) should be 2 feet 8 
inches by 5 feet 4 inches, making the inside dimensions 2 feet by 4 feet. 
This size will require an average of 7^2 blocks for each course. 

The foundation for the chute should be 2 feet wide and 1 foot high, 

the same as that for the silo, using concrete of the same proportions. 

„ , . (See page 83.) If a monolithic chute is to be built ^g-inch verti- 

a ions ^ reinforcing rods must be imbedded in the foundation 18 

inches apart. Monolithic chute walls are built simultaneously with 




2- 




V* k- /0"->\ 

k-6'»i 
WOODEN SPACER 



1. Outer chute form. 

2. Inner chute form. 

3. Turnbuckles. 

4. Joining points. 

5. Reinforcement — Triangle mesh or rods. 

6. Wooden strips. 

7. Hooked over ladder rod. 

8. Inner silo form. 

9. Wooden spacers. 

10. Ladder rod, 37 feet long. 

11. Plank for blocking off door. 



Form for Monolithic Chute. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND C E M E X T < < > 



81 



the silo walls; chute walls of concrete block silos must also be built at 
the same time, being built in and kept at the same level as the silo walls. 
The monolithic chute illustrated on page 80 is practically self-explan- 
atory, as is the chute of concrete block shown on this page. 

The later forms put out by the best silo form manufacturing com- 
panies now provide chute and roof forms, so that the construction is com- 
paratively a simple matter. 

If the block silo and chute are put up simultaneously the walls of the 

two will be held together by the blocks, and no reinforcing will be neces- 

„. , sary. Window openings in the chute may be made by using 

Chutes concrete sills and lintels, which are easily obtainable from block 

dealers. A length of heavy strap iron may be substituted for a 

lintel, if desired, and the sill cast in place by means of a simple box mold. 



Note:- Openings "A" end "B" to be 
filled with concrete the full height of 
Silo 



lioe/i/dnized Pipe over I "Rod s 
Rods 2 apart 9' Long 




y \' 



CONCRETE SILOS 



Water Supply Tanks 



The top of a monolithic silo is a convenient place for the farm water 
supply tank; in fact, if one were about to build a large concrete tank no 
better construction could be chosen than that of building the base in the 
shape of a monolithic silo, whether it could be put to any other use or not. 
Where both silo and tank are necessities, as on large stock and dairy farms, 
the two may well be combined. 

Every farm should have a water supply tank large enough to take care 
of all the needs about the house and barn and still leave a reserve for use 
in case of fire. Fire protection can best be obtained by a supply 
Tank °^ wa ter under pressure. The water tank on top of the concrete 

silo supplies this need. The table below shows the capacities of 
tanks for silos with diameters of from 8 to 16 feet, assuming the tanks are 
filled to a height of five feet. It is hardly practical for inexperienced per- 
sons to build tanks of greater diameter than 16 feet, erected on top of 
silos, unless these tanks are especially designed for each particular silo. 
Detailed plans of larger tanks will be designed by the Universal Informa- 
tion Bureau, however, to fit individual cases and will be furnished upon 
request. 

Where a tank is to be built on top of a silo, no additional rein- 

. forcing is required in the silo walls, as the weight of the tank and 

the^Tanlt ° the water in it will have no effect on a well reinforced concrete 

silo. The reinforcing for the tank is shown on the chart on 

page 86. 

In silos with continuous doorways, it is necessary to bridge across 

the top of the doorway before laying the tank floor. The door-frame should 

R . .. . extend up within one foot of the bottom of the floor, and as soon 

Across as the walls have been built up to the level of the top of the frame, 

Continuous a reinforced concrete beam 33^2 feet long, 12 inches high and 4 

Doorways inches wide, at least 28 days old, should be put in. This beam 

should be reinforced with four J^-inch round rods in the top and bottom, 

and may be made in a small mold-box. It should be placed in the inner 

side of the wall and the concreting then resumed up to the level of the 

tank floor. 

Capacity of Water Supply Tanks * 

Diameter of Capacity in 

tank in ft. barrels 

8 60 

10 95 

12 135 

14 185 

16 240 

*Depth of water — 5 feet. 
One barrel equals 31.5 gal. or 4.21 cu. ft. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



89 



As soon as the wall 

has been brought up 

,, c,, to the level 

he Floor e , , , 

of the tank 

floor, the outer form 
should be raised 1 foot 
and the inner form 
lowered 1 foot. A 
heavily -braced plat- 
form which will sup- 
port the concrete floor 
should then be erected 
upon the inner form. 
The floor form must 
be made of 2- inch 
planks supported on 
2x10 -inch joists, 
braced to the staging 
as well as to the inner 
form, which must be 
strengthened if much 
of the weight of the 
floor is to rest upon it. 
The floor form must be 
able to support a load 
exceeding 125 pounds 
to the square foot in 
the case of a 16-foot 
silo, or 75 pounds to the 
square foot for an 8- 
foot silo. The greatest 
caution must be exer- 
cised in getting the 
framing put up in such 
manner that it will 
carry the load without 
danger of collapse. 

The entire floor 
must be concreted at 
one operation. The 
necessary materials 
must be on hand, and 
provision made for 
mixing in large batches 
and elevating as speed- 
ily as possible. These 
are points which are 
absolutely essential 
for perfect work. The 
concrete should be 
made in the propor- 




m 

m 

5£CT/ON THROUGH 5/LO 

Sectional View of a Reinforced Monolithic Silo, showing water 
roof, chute, concrete drain tile, and other essential details 



CONCRETE SILOS 



tion of one sack of cement to 2 cubic feet of clean, coarse sand, and 3 
cubic feet of screened gravel, the latter to contain no particles smaller than 
3^-inch, nor larger than one inch. The concrete must be thoroughly mixed 
with enough water to flow with slight agitation. The following table 
shows the thickness of floor, amount and spacing of reinforcing and the 
amount of materials needed for tank floors of various sizes. 

Materials and Reinforcing for Tank Floors 













Pounds of 


Pounds of 






of Silo 


Total 


Cement 


Sand 


Gravel 


J's-inch 


J/2-iach 




Spacing of 


and 


Thickness 


Required 


Required 


Required 


Round 


Round 


No. of 


Reinforcing 


Tank 


of 


Barrels 


Cubic 


Cubic 


Reinforcing 


Reinforcing 


Lengths 


Rods 


in Feet 


Floor 




Yards 


Yards 


Rods 
Required 


Rods 
Required 




(Inches apart) 


10 


7" 


2.4 


.87 


1.4 


205 




34-16' 


4" to 8" 


12 


m" 


4.2 


1.52 


2.5 




439 


41-16' 


5" to 8" 


14 


10" 


6.7 


2.42 


3.9 




535 


50-16' 


5" to 8" 


16 


10" 


8.7 


3.17 


5.1 




771 


90-16' 


4" to 8" 



Before placing any of the concrete, reinforcing rods for the floor 
should be laid down upon the platform, as shown below. Begin to lay 
the rods at the center, at the closest spacing shown in the table, then 
lay the remaining rods running the same direction, working to the wall 
where the greatest spacing shown in the table may be used. The rein- 
forcing should then be placed in the other direction in the same manner, 
and wired at intervals of 2 or 3 feet with ordinary hay-baling wire. 




Showing the method of placing reinforcing rods in the bottom of the tank floor. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 85 

The ends of the reinforcing bars must be sufficiently long, so thai 
each alternate rod can be turned back into the floor. 1 inch below its l<>|> 
surface, a distance of one-quarter the diameter of the tank and pointing 
towards the center, i. e., in a silo tank 16 feet in diameter, the alternate bar 
would be bent up from the bottom of the tank floor 8 inches, then turned 
back just under the top surface of the floor and running towards the 
center of the silo a distance of 4 feet. The remaining floor rods will be 
bent straight up, extending vertically a distance of 2 feet into the tank wall. 

The reinforcing should be supported about an inch above the plat- 
form, on small cubes of concrete or strips of wood placed about 2 feet 
apart. Cement and sand mortar mixed in the proportions of 1 :3 should 
then be put on and worked under the reinforcing to a depth of about one 
inch, and the concrete immediately placed upon this. In case small wooden 
strips are used to support reinforcing, these may be withdrawn from the 
underside of the floor as soon as the framing is removed, and the resulting 
holes filled with mortar. Concrete cubes are preferable to wooden strips, 
and may be easily made in the following manner: Lay down two 1-inch 
boards on a flat floor, one inch apart, and fill in the space between them 
with 1 :3 mortar, trowelling off the top. The long strip of concrete thus 
formed may be broken up into short sections approximately cubical in shape. 

After the floor has sufficiently hardened, the forms and scaffolding 
should be taken down, the wall forms hoisted up the outside, and placed in 

. position on the tank floor. Before concreting is continued on the 

Walls walls, the surface must be cleaned off, thoroughly moistened, and 

painted with cement and water grout, mixed about as thick as 

cream. The concrete must then be placed before the grout shows any 

tendency to dry/ Six feet will be found a convenient depth for the tank. 

The vertical reinforcing above the tank floor is put in the same as be- 
low, with 3^-inch rods, spaced at intervals of 3 feet around the circum- 

. ference. The spacing for the horizontal rods may be obtained 
f rom j-jjg chart on page 86. By referring to the diagram, it 
will be seen that the vertical scale shows the distance from the top of the 
tank, each small division representing one inch. Across the top of the table 
are the tank diameters, running from 10 to 16 feet. The heavy black lines 
indicate the spacing of the rods. This diagram may be conveniently used 
for tanks six feet deep or less. 

Suppose it is desired to know the proper reinforcing for a tank 14 feet 
in diameter and 6 feet deep (to hold 5 feet of water) . Running across 
Example ^ e top horizontal column until 14 feet is reached, we find (direct- 
ly below) that two sizes of rods — %-inch and 34-inch — are used. 
Running to the bottom of the vertical diagrams, it will be seen that a Y%- 
inch rod is placed 2 inches from the floor line. The next two rods are also 
^-inch, spaced 7 and 14 inches above the first rod. Above this point 34- 
inch rods may be used to the top, as shown, or three more 3 g-inch rods may 
be used, and the change made to 34 - i ncn r °d s at a point 2 feet 5 inches from 
the top. 

The intake and outlet pipes should run up one corner of the chute, 
far enough from the wall so that they may be covered to prevent freezing. 



CONCRETE SILOS 



p . . . The overflow outlet may consist of a 3-inch pipe passing through 

Overflow ^ ne wan aDou t 6 inches below the cornice. This pipe may be run 
down within the chute or on the outside of the silo, and led to a 
line of tile. In many cases, however, the pipe is simply made to stick 
straight out of the wall about a foot, and the overflow is not drained off in 
any way. This method is not recommended as a general thing, but may be 
suitable if close watch is kept so that the tank is rarely filled to the over- 
flow point. 

A concrete roof should cover the water tank, which will prevent the 
water from freezing, to a great extent. A roof also keeps the water 
cooler in summer and cleaner at all seasons of the year. No farmer 
should overlook the fire protection feature of a water tank on top of the 
concrete silo. 



Chart Showing Horizontal Tank Reinforcing 






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TANK 


IOFT. 


12 ITT. 


i4 rr 


/err 






SIZE 


/" 


i" 


3" 


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3" 


/» 


POUND RODS 


4 


4 


8 


4 


8 


4 






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» 






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1 


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► 




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6 





UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 






Concrete Roofs 

Some years ago, even concrete silos were built without roof's. Such 
is not true today, and in fact one silo contractor, W. II. Warlord, of 
Geneva, Illinois, has invented and patented a roof form so that concrete 
roofs can be built on practically any type of masonry silos. The Monsco 
Company has made provision for roofs, and A. H. Limberg, one of the 
early silo form inventors, always recommended concrete roofs as well as 
chutes. A silo without a roof is an unfinished building. Scientific- 
investigation has disclosed that not only the freezing of silage in winter, 
but its thawing-out along the north wall is prevented by the roof. The 
roof protects the silage by excluding the elements and maintains uniform 
conditions in the silo. 

The functions of a roof on a silo are (1) to prevent the cold from reach- 
ing the silage, (2) to make it more convenient to work in the silo during 
stormy weather and (3) to prevent the silage from being spoiled by dry- 
ing out by the sun. 

The logical way to finish up a concrete silo is with a concrete roof. 
Of 110 concrete silos recently investigated by this Company, 39 had con- 
crete roofs, 30 wooden roofs, 3 steel roofs, 13 had no roofs of any sort, 
and on 16 silos no note of the roof was made. Of the silos with concrete 
roofs, more than a majority were built during the last two years, showing 
that the tendency at the present time is toward the all-concrete silo — 
from foundation to pinnacle. If the directions given in the following para- 
graphs are closely followed, little difficulty will be found in putting on a 
good roof of concrete — one that will last indefinitely without need of 




Framing for Constructing a Concrete Roof on the concrete silo; wall forms in position, 
tion is of the University of Wisconsin forms. 



The illustra- 



CONCRETE SILOS 




r Half round 



^tfxZ "Bracket 



CStoveBo/fo 



rorms in place for 
Top section and Cornice 




Box for Cornice 

Mold Box for Silo Cornice. 



being shingled or otherwise 
repaired, and which will be in 
no danger of blowing off. 

A cornice is only necessary 
where a roof is to be put on, its 
c . chief uses being to pre- 
vent water from the 
roof from running down the 
walls, and to improve the ap- 
pearance of the silo. On this 
page is shown how the forms 
are made for the cornice on a 
monolithic silo. 

The brackets for the 
forms are made of 34 x 2-inch 
strap iron bent as shown, 
and drilled to receive three 
stove bolts. These brackets 
should be placed on the outer 
form at intervals of about 6 
feet, holes being drilled at the 
proper points to receive the 
stove bolts. The bottom of 
the cornice mold box is made 
of 2x6-inch planks in short 
lengths, sawed to the arc of a 
circle with diameter 1 foot 
larger than that of the inside 
of the silo. The side of the 
mold is made of lx6-inch 
planks spiked to the bottom 
boards. The mold is held in 
place by screws through the 
bracket, as shown. An extra 
band of horizontal reinforcing 
is put in the cornice, as may 
The vertical rods in the silo walls and the radial 
all brought around the horizontal reinforcing in 



be seen in the figure, 
rods of the roof are 
the cornice, thus holding it in place and strengthening the cornice 

For the top section of the wall (last filling of the forms) the inner and 
outer forms are brought up to the line of the top of the completed wall. 
The forms are then filled to within one foot of the top, the outer form re- 
moved, and brackets attached. (If the stove bolts are already in place 
the form need not be removed to attach the brackets) . The mold box will 
then be put in place. The cornice will be concreted at the same time as 
the roof, as will be explained later. 

The roof framing may consist of 2x4's or similar material, as 
shown in the lower right-hand quadrant of the plan view, on page 90. 
Roo f In case of a silo with a water tank on top, the forms must be 

Framing removed before the roof framing is put up, and the latter sup- 

ported on a light framework erected within the tank. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



S9 



The roof frame may be boarded up as shown in the plan view, with 
boards running either radially or otherwise, as desired. These boards 
should be placed close together to prevent the concrete from coining 
through when placed upon them. The table below shows the vertical 
rise to be given to roofs for silos of various diameters. 

A hole about % x /2 f pe t square must of course be left for filling the silo, 
or if a roof covers a tank the hole will afford access to the latter. Before 
placing the reinforcing or the concrete, the top of the framing should be 
covered with building paper, or similar material, which will prevent the 
concrete from sticking to the forms. This will greatly facilitate their 
removal. 

The upper right hand quadrant of the plan and the sectional view 

show the spacing of the radial and hoop reinforcing. The radial reinforcing 

pi ■ f u i s placed so as to be two feet apart on the circumference, and 

Reinforcing the hoop reinforcing is indicated on the design. Extra rods 

should be put in around the window opening if the regular rods 

do not follow the outline of the window closely enough to reinforce it. 

All intersections must be wired together, and the outer ends of the 

radial wires brought down and bent around the horizontal reinforcing 

in the cornice, as shown. The reinforcing should be supported one inch 

above the roof frame, so that when the concrete is put on, the rods will 

rest on a one-inch bed and be covered by a three-inch bed, the total 

thickness of the roof being four inches. For amounts of reinforcing 

necessary for roofs of various diameters, use the table below. 






Table of Dimensions and Materials for Roofs for Silos with 
Diameters 8 Feet to 22 Feet 



Diam- 


Verti- 


Volume 


Cement 


Sand 


Stone 


J4 Inch Reinforcir 


g Rods 








eter of 


cal 


of Cone. 


Required 


Required 


Required 


No. of 


Stock 


No. of 


Silo 


Rise 


in cu. yds. 


barrels 


cu. yds. 


cu. yds. 


Rods 
Required 


Length 
of Rods 


Lbs. of 
Rods 


10 ft. 


&A ft. 


1.60 


2.80 


.80 


1.20 


31 


12 ft. 


62 


12 ft. 


3 ft. 


2.20 


3.80 


1.10 


1.70 


33 


16 ft. 


88 


14 ft. 


3^ ft. 


2.90 


5.00 


1.50 


2.20 


45 


16 ft. 


120 


16 ft. 


4 ft. 


3.80 


6.60 


2.00 


2.90 


87 


10 ft. 


146 


18 ft. 


4 ft. 


4.50 


7.8 


2.60 


3.50 


93 


12 ft. 


187 


20 ft. 


4 ft. 


5.40 


9.4 


2.80 


4.20 


107 


12 ft. 


226 


22 ft. 


4 ft. 


6.40 


11.1 


3.30 


4.90 


113 


14 ft. 


265 



Concrete for roofs is made of 1 sack Portland Cement to 2 cubic feet 
of coarse sand to 3 cubic feet of screened gravel or crushed stone. Each 
cubic yard of concrete requires 1% bbls. of cement, 3-2 cubic yard of sand, 
and % cubic yard of gravel or stone, approximately. The }4'-inch reinforc- 
ing rod weighs 16.7 pounds per 100 feet. 

Concrete for the roof should be made in the proportion of one sack of 
cement to two cubic feet of coarse, clean sand, to three parts of screened 



90 



CONCRETE SILOS 




USE^ ROUND BARS 
CONCRETE TO BE l."2:3 MIXTURE 



CONICAL CONCRETE SILO ROOF 

Reinforced Concrete Roof Design. The wooden framing is removed as soon as the cover has become 
thoroughly hardened. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND C E M E N T C O. 



!)1 



Concreting 



Monolithic 
Roofs for 
Hollow 
Block Silos 



gravel or crushed stone. The concrete should be mixed as wet 
as it can be put on without danger of running to the edges of Un- 
roof due to the pitch. The top should be trowelled off smooth, in the same 
manner as a sidewalk. Concreting should begin at the cornice working 
around the roof, so as to keep the concrete on all sides at an even height. 
As the work progresses toward the center a broad board, on which to stand, 
may be laid on the concrete already laid. It will also add greatly to the 
safety of the men working on the roof if a rope attached to the pinnacle 
is tied about the waist of each. In place of this, it is often desirable, for 
the sake of greater safety to the workmen, to put up a scaffolding on the 
outside of the silo. Special care must be taken to protect the roof from 
sun, strong wind and freezing until thoroughly hardened. For this pur- 
pose a covering of straw, manure, or canvas is generally effective; if either 
straw or manure is used it may be necessary to weight it down. The ef- 
fect of sun and wind is to dry the concrete out too rapidly, causing check- 
ing and cracking; while frost affects the strength of the concrete. 

Where it is desired to put a monolithic concrete roof on a hollow block 
silo, the wall should be laid up in the usual manner until the third course 
of block from the top is reached. The blocks used in this course 
should be solid, namely, made without cores, or if with the cores 
these should be filled up with mortar. The last two courses of 
hollow block should then be laid, the cores being left open. 

Special cornice blocks should be cast to make the cornice 
projection, and for this purpose a mold similar to that shown below 
can be conveniently used. The block should be 14 inches in width and 

of the same length on the inside of the 
wall as the wall blocks. The portion 
of the cornice blocks directly above 
the wall blocks should be 6 inches 
thick, while the projecting ends of the 
blocks should be but 5 inches thick, so 
as to give a one-inch drop. The roof 
framing is then put up in the same 
manner as described on page 88, but 
in this case it must be supported by 
the scaffolding instead of on the inner 
form mentioned there. The rein- 
forcing is placed in the same manner as described on page 89 and shown in 
illustration on page 90, excepting that the outer ends of the radial rods 
are made to extend down through the holes in the block for a distance of 
a foot or more. Since the holes in the third course of block from the top 
were either omitted or filled up before these blocks were laid, holes in the 
two upper courses can be filled up with wet concrete as soon as the rein- 
forcing rods are in position. The roof is concreted as described above. 
Before the concrete is placed on the cornice blocks this must be moistened 
and then painted with a cement and water grout. 




Cornice block for concrete block silo. 



CONCRETE SILOS 



Commercial Silo Systems 

Monolithic Systems 

Several very ingenious systems of silo forms have been devised and 
put into use in various parts of the country by silo contractors and con- 
struction companies. These are of a more substantial type than the home 
made forms and in most cases the same form may be used to build a great 
number of silos. Manufacturers of these forms generally contract to build 
silos by their systems, but often sell the forms and territory rights or rent 
them to prospective builders for the job. A number of the best systems 
in use in this country are briefly described in the following paragraphs. 
The Conklin Construction Co. of Hartford, Michigan, is manufactur- 
ing silo forms which make a poured concrete monolithic silo from footing to 
roof including a chute. This company claims that four men 
Conklin can bmM 6 feet of silo every day and that its machine carries 

q its own scaffolding and is automatically lifted; also not over 200 

feet of lumber is required for its operation. In addition to 
its use in building silos, the manufacturers claim that this machine is 
adapted to any circular construction such as grain bins, water tanks, 
etc., and that any thickness of walls may be made. 

The Conklin machine is equipped with a four-inch center mast carry- 
ing adjustable arms for various diameters between 10 and 20 feet. The 
standard equipment shows 60 feet of center mast but additional sections 
can be obtained so that the silo can be built to any height desired. This 
company also claims that water tanks can easily be built on top of concrete 
silos erected with their equipment, the water tanks, of course, affording 
water under pressure which is not only convenient but gives good fire pro- 
tection. 




Patented Silo Molds of W. H. Limberg, Plymouth, Wisconsin. A large number of concrete silos have 
been built in Wisconsin and other states during the seven years these molds have been in use. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT C O. 



9;} 



W. H. 

Limberg 



W. H. Limberg, of Plymouth, Wisconsin, has invented a silo mold for 
concrete silos which has been used with great success in Wisconsin and 
adjoining states for several years. A large number of con- 
crete silos have been built with his forms. An advantageous 
feature of the Limberg concrete silo mold is the fact that it is 
practically 6 feet in height, consisting of two rings or circles so that six 
feet per day of wall can be poured. This feature decreases the time re- 
quired for building. The molds are made of 18 gauge galvanized sheet 
steel and steel angle bars l^xlj^x^-inches for bracing. The form is 
illustrated on page 92. 

The Monolithic Silo & Construction Co., of Chicago, are the manu- 
facturers of the Monsco molds for building reinforced concrete silos. 
The Monsco Company realize the necessity of having a concrete 
chute and roof, the chute having been one of the noted features 
of this company. The form for the successful building of a con- 
crete roof is a necessary development and today practically all 
up-to-date silos have concrete roofs. 
The Monsco molds build 6 feet per day and are illustrated on this 
page. They are made in two circles each three feet high and each circle is 
divided into four to six segments according to diameter, the chute mould 
making an additional segment. No. 18 gauge galvanized sheet steel, spe- 
cially rolled for this purpose, is used in making them. The weight will vary 
from 1,900 pounds for a 12-foot mold and upward, according to diameter. 



Monolithic 
Silo and 
Construction 
Co. 







Monsco Forms. Sections removed to show details of centering and supporting device. 



94 CONCRETE SILOS 



Holes are bored in the segments at frequent intervals to permit the insertion 
of the curved end of a ^g-inch iron rod shaped something like a stove 
poker, by means of which a segment is raised from one circle to the new 
course. A segment will weigh in the neighborhood of 125 pounds, and 
two men have no difficulty in handling it. 

Each Monsco mold equipment includes 90 clamps for holding the 
segments together and 16 irons for concrete roof and cornice. A clamp is 
easily attached and detached and holds the segments and circles together 
as if in a vise. 

The Monsco steel roof-molds are made of galvanized steel and are 
adjustable for 12-foot, 14-foot, 16-foot and 18-foot silos. The dormer 
window, which is one of the features of this construction, comes in two 
sections and can be used for any sized roof. 

For a number of years John H. McCoy has been successfully us- 
ing a system of forms of his own invention in the construction of large 
silos and railroad water tanks in many parts of the country. 
Forms This system is now owned and used by the Steel Concrete Con- 

struction Co. of Harris ville, Pa. The forms are of steel made in 
sections, each of which is supplied with a separate rig for hoisting. The 
materials are raised in steel buckets by horse power and deposited on a 
trough which travels around a circular track. This track makes it pos- 
sible to move the trough to any part of the work that it is desired to fill. 
The Peerless forms, manufactured by the New Enterprise Concrete 
Machinery Co. of Chicago, and used by the above company and a 
_, p large number of silo contractors, are built of heavy galvanized 

Forms ' snee t iron with angle iron stiffeners. Both inner and outer 
forms are built in sections which are coupled together with small 
steel pins or spikes. They are held at the proper distance apart by a steel 
frame which also supports a derrick. The materials are raised in a steel 
bucket, horse power being used. 

The Polk system is operated by the Polk-Genung-Polk Co. of Fort 
Branch, Indiana, and a number of licensed contractors. The inner and 
outer forms are of heavy galvanized sheet iron, stiffened with 
System angle iron. They are suspended by rods and chains from an 

iron collar which slides on a hollow steel mast. The inner and 
outer forms are kept perpendicular and also held at proper distances 
apart by radial horizontal angle irons. These also serve to hold a plat- 
form. 

One of the chief advantages of the Polk System is the method of ele- 
vating the concrete and depositing it within the forms. The apparatus 
consists of a steel bucket and cable, the latter running over a pulley at- 
tached to a trolley which travels on a steel boom. This boom is attached to 
the central mast by means of a collar which allows it to swing around in a 
full circle. After it is filled with concrete the bucket travels upwards until 
it reaches the trolley on the boom. The trolley is then released automat- 
ically and the bucket travels until directly over the forms. The trolley is 
prevented from going further by a stop consisting of a steel pin placed 
through a hole in the boom. Power for elevating the materials is generally 
supplied by a horse. The forms are raised in the following manner: 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEM E N T C O. Dfi 

A small flat collar is pinned in position to the mast about two feet below 

the collar which supports the forms. Two long jacks are then placed on the 
flat top of the lower collar in such a manner as to raise the upper collars 
when the jacks are operated. The mast is provided with holes a short ins- 
tance apart to receive steel pins, and as soon as the jacks have been raised 
to their limit a pin is placed through the mast just below the upper cylin- 
drical collar to prevent the form dropping while the jacks are being moved 
up to a new position. The forms must be loosened, of course, before any 
attempt is made to raise them with the jacks. 

The silos constructed by the Polk System have single walls six inches 
thick, reinforced with twisted steel rods 34-inch to ^g-inch in size. They 
are built with elliptical door openings, one door to every five feet in height. 
Except where especially desired by the owner, roofs and chutes are not sup- 
plied. The Polk System is protected by United States patents. 

Reichert Flexible or Adjustable Silo Molds are manufactured by the 

Reichert Manufacturing Co. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Reichert 

Manufacturing Co. is an old and well established company and 

Reichert ^ie metal molds for monolithic concrete work, of which they are 

ing Co. the manufacturers and patentees, have proved their merit for 

considerable time. 

The silo building outfit as furnished by the Reichert Co. consists of 
sectional molds, each two (2) feet in height and two (2) feet in width. 
Smaller plates called fillers can be inserted between the larger molds to 
make up the required diameters. There are also rectangular plates which 
are fastened to the circular molds at any point, and construct the chute 
portion. For every different diameter silo there are two sets of sectional rings, 
which fit snugly to the inside molds, holding the plates to a true circle. 
These rings also act as a support for the sectional adjustable scaffold arms 
radiating from the center. Every outfit has two sets containing eight 
each of the these radial adjustable arms, making sixteen arms in all. 

In the center of the silo a halved collar bolted together acts as the 
other end support for the scaffold arms. Each half is attached to one 
scaffold arm, so that when the scaffold is raised, all that is necessary is 
to loosen the bolts holding the two halves of the collar together. This 
collar has a flat shoulder projecting about 3 inches from the center. On 
the outside edge there are slots to receive the other six scaffold arms. 
The center mast is made up of four (4) sections of pipe, each being 10 
feet in length. This pipe is 2% inches inside diameter, and is 
fastened together by means of couplings. At intervals of 22 inches along 
the pipe there are ^-inch holes, into which small rods are inserted, to act as 
a ladder as well as a support for the collar which in turn holds the scaffold 
rigid. 

The Silo Equipment Co. of Minneapolis has just put on the market a 
new monolithic silo form. The sides of the form are made of 14-gauge gal- 
vanized iron, braced on the inside with steel bars radiating from 
g 7 °. the center mast. The hoist for lifting the concrete is also con- 

^quipmen necte( j to t h e cen ter mast. This form differs from other steel 
forms in that it is supported on the vertical reinforcing rods and 
not on the concrete structure. 



96 



CONCRETE SILOS 



Puffer- 
Hubbard 
Manufactur- 
ing Co. 



The St. Jacob Lumber & Hardware Co., of St. Jacob, Illinois, are 

manufacturers of silos, building block pillars and other poured or cast 

concrete work. In the last two years a number of successful 

St. Jacob s [\ os nave been built near St. Jacob and other parts of Illinois, 

HardwareCo. ^y tn ^ s company, using the Blummer Perfect Silo Form, owned 

by them. 

The Puffer-Hubbard Manufacturing Co., of Minneapolis, Minn., has 

recently put out what are called Duplex Forms, for building concrete silos. 

This company claims that the special advantage of these forms is 

their use in placing monolithic concrete foundations, such as are 

required for all types of silos, whether concrete or other material. 

This company does not manufacture hoisting machinery, nor do 

they furnish complete silo equipment, but these forms can 

undoubtedly be handled successfully by following the directions as to 

bracing, etc., given on page 56. 

The diameters of silos which can be built with these forms are of dif- 
ferent sizes, varying from ten to twenty feet. The inner form consists of 
eight segments held together by two 2-inch by 6-inch by 2-foot cleats, 
cut to the same circle. These hold the segments to a true circle. Three- 
foot lengths of 1-inch boards are nailed to the curved edge of the ribs, 
the latter being placed 2 feet center to center. These boards are then 
covered with 28-gauge galvanized sheet steel. 

Eighteen-gauge galvanized sheet steel is used for the outer forms 
fitted with proper attachments for clamping the sections together, and 
raising them to their new position, as the work progresses. 

W. H. Warford of Geneva, Illinois, a successful concrete silo contrac- 
tor, has perfected and patented a roof form. Mr. Warford uses the Polk 
System of reinforced concrete construction for the building of silos, but the 
roof form is of his own 



W.H. 
Warford 



manufacture. A detail 
of these roof forms is 
shown on this page. These roof 
forms have been in successful 
operation and the inventor claims 
that concrete roofs can be put 
on silos with this form very easily 
and at a comparatively low cost, 
all factors considered. The form 
weighs about 1200 pounds com- 
plete. It is light in weight, self- 
centering, has twenty-four rein- 
forced ribs and allows for a 6-inch 
ventilator on top. All sections 
are identical except the one with 
the manhole. The form is also 
suggested for use in building roofs 
of combination milk rooms, water 
towers, small grain bins, grain 
storage and cattle tanks. 




Detail of Roof Forms (patented) of W. H. Warford, 
Geneva, Illinois, a successful silo contractor who has 
built a number of good concrete roofs on concrete silos 
with this form. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 



VI 



Concrete Block Systems 



The Elgin silo, built by The Elgin Silo Co., Elgin, Illinois, is a con- 
crete slab type, as illustrated at the right on this page. This company 
manufactures and delivers the slabs to the contractor or fanner. 
Elgin Silo -p^g s ] a b method of construction appears to be an improvement 
over some unit methods and the protection of the steel rein- 
forcing bands by concrete is undoubtedly an improvement. 

The Hurst Silo Co., at 416 McCormick Building, Chicago, manufac- 
tures concrete blocks for reinforced concrete silo or tank construction. 
The Hurst silo blocks have been successfully used in a large 
number of silos, and the Hurst silo block molds are manufac- 
tured and sold by them. These molds are furnished in sets 
of ten each. There are no screws or bolts used in the Hurst molds, 
which are 23^ inches long, 11% inches high, and 4 inches thick, contain- 
ing approximately 2/3 of a cubic foot. At the left of pages 97 and 98 
are shown Hurst silos. 

One of the features in the Hurst silo block is the method of reinforc- 
ing, which is simple and effective. It is sometimes lost sight of in building 
block silos that reinforcement is just as necessary in this type as in any 
other type. The Hurst Co. provides a roof frame on which a reinforced 
concrete roof can be constructed. 



Hurst 
Silo Co 




Hurst Reinforced Concrete Block Silo, built on 
J. W. Cooper's farm at Whitewater, Wisconsin, 
bv Chas. B. Hurst Co., Chicago. 



Cement Slab Silo on D. B. Hoornbeck's farm, 
Elgin, Illinois; built by Elgin Cement Silo Co. 
Fire destroyed other buildings. 



98 



CONCRETE SILOS 



The Perfect Silo, built by the Perfect Reinforced Silo & Cistern 

Block Co., of Delaware, Ohio, has met with great favor amongst Ohio 

farmers and a large number have been put up in Delaware and 

g ilo adjacent counties. Some of these silos have been built by the 

owners with block purchased from the above company. 

This system differs from all others in the dimensions of the blocks and 
the method of reinforcing. The blocks are 24 inches long, 12 inches high, 
and 4 inches thick. Each block is reinforced with two iron bands running 
lengthwise 6 inches apart. Each rod is looped and turned 6 inches from 
each end. These loops are spaced so as to correspond with ^-inch round 
vertical holes which are formed in the block. When the blocks are laid 
in the wall these vertical openings are filled with cement grout and steel 
dowel pins are passed through this soft material and inserted about half 
way in the block below. The rods should be of such length that they 
will reach up about half way in the blocks above. The blocks have a 
groove Yi inch deep in the top edge which provides space for a larger 
mortar bed and also for the heavy horizontal rods which span the contin- 
uous door openings at intervals of 2 feet. These rods are firmly fastened 
to the vertical dowel pins. The dowels next to the door openings are made 
of heavy pipe in 4-foot sections firmly screwed together. 

This system is shown on page 99. 




Hurst Silos built on famous Crab Tree Farm, 
Lake Bluff, Illinois. Built after fire had de- 
stroyed everything but concrete milk house. 



Concrete Block Silo of John Hubing, at Loyal, 
Wisconsin. Fire completely destroyed barn; silo 
and contents uninjured. 



UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 99 



A very interesting type of concrete block silo is being used extensively 
through the region between Holland and Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is 

TheZeeland known as tne Zeeland silo and has been built exclusively by 

SH Chris DeJonge, of Zeeland, Mich. 

About 50 Zeeland silos have been put up by him in Ottawa 
County alone. The Zeeland silo has a number of unique features. It is 
the only silo of its kind using solid blocks made "tongue and groove" 
so as to fit any diameter of silo. The blocks are made 24 inches long and 8 
inches high and have a thickness of only 3 inches. They are laid up in 
1:2 cement and sand mortar and the inside of the wall is plastered off with 
mortar of the same proportion. Reinforcing consists of a heavy iron rod 
around each course, laid in a groove provided in the top of the blocks. 

Mr. DeJonge has secured patents on a semi-circular steel chute and 
ladder which is placed on the inside of the silo. This permits the silo walls 
to be built up full all around, the only opening necessary being a door in the 
bottom. The chute is held to the silo wall by means of hooks and eyelets, 
the latter being placed in the wall at the time of building. When it is de- 
sired to feed off the silage, two top sections of the chute are removed, and 
as the height of the silage is lowered successive sections are removed and 
hung two spaces higher. 




Sectional view showing construction of the Perfect Silo and method 
of reinforcing continuous doorway. 



100 



CONCRETE SILOS 



Table Giving Lineal Feet of Triangle Mesh Reinforcement 



Height 
of 


Inside Diameter of Silo 


Silo 


10 Feet 


12 Feet 


14 Feet 


16 Feet 


24 Feet 


333 Style No. 6 


347 Style No. 6 
40 Style No. 4 


347 Style No. 6 
89 Style No. 4 


336 Style No. 6 
151 Style No. 4 


27 Feet 


343 Style No. 6 
34 Style No. 4 


357 Style No. 6 
77 Style No. 4 


357 Style No. 6 
132 Style No. 4 


346 Style No. 6 
204 Style No. 4 


30 Feet 


353 Style No. 6 
64 Style No. 4 


367 Style No. 6 
114 Style No. 4 


367 Style No. 6 
178 Style No. 4 


405 Style No. 6 
253 Style No. 4 


33 Feet 


363 Style No. 6 
95 Style No. 4 


377 Style No. 6 
150 Style No. 4 


420 Style No. 6 
221 Style No. 4 


468 Style No. 6 
302 Style No. 4 


36 Feet 


373 Style No. 6 
125 Style No. 4 


387 Style No. 6 
190 Style No. 4 


476 Style No. 6 
264 Style No. 4 


527 Style No. 6 
355 Style No. 4 


39 Feet 


383 Style No. 6 
159 Style No. 4 


433 Style No. 6 
227 Style No. 4 


529 Style No. 6 
310 Style No. 4 


586 Style No. 6 
404 Style No. 4 


42 Feet 


393 Style No. 6 
189 Style No. 4 


483 Style No. 6 
264 Style No. 4 


582 Style No. 6 
353 Style No. 4 


596 Style No. 6 
506 Style No. 4 


45 Feet 


434 Style No. 6 
220 Style No. 4 


530 Style No. 6 
300 Style No. 4 


638 Style No. 6 
396 Style No. 4 


606 Style No. 6 
604 Style No. 4 


48 Feet 


477 Style No. 6 
250 Style No. 4 


570 Style No. 6 
340 Style No. 4 


648 Style No. 6 
485 Style No. 4 


619 Style No. 6 
706 Style No. 4 


51 Feet 


518 Style No. 6 
281 Style No. 4 


626 Style No. 6 
377 Style No. 4 


658 Style No. 6 
571 Style No. 4 


629 Style No. 6 
808 Style No. 4 


54 Feet 


558 Style No. 6 
314 Style No. 4 


636 Style No. 6 
450 Style No. 4 


668 Style No. 6 
660 Style No. 4 


639 Style No. 6 
906 Style No. 4 


57 Feet 


599 Style No. 6 
345 Style No. 4 


646 Style No. 6 
527 Style No. 4 


678 Style No. 6 
746 Style No. 4 


649 Style No. 6 

959 Style No. 4 

53 Style No. 23 


60 Feet 


642 Style No. 6 
375 Style No. 4 


656 Style No. 6 
600 Style No. 4 


688 Style No. 6 
835 Style No. 4 


659 Style No. 6 

1008 Style No. 4 

102 Style No. 23 


Floor 


38 Style No. 6 


48 Style No. 6 


68 Style No. 6 


87 Style No. 6 


Roof 


96 Style No. 6 


134 Style No. 6 


182 Style No. 6 


240 Style No. 6 



NOTE: — Use 38" widths of mesh and lap 2" or use 42" widths and lap 6". 
Reinforcement furnished only in rolls 150', 200' and 300 long. 



U N I \ E R SAL 1M) II T LAND ( : E M E \ T CI > 



mi 



Table Giving Lineal Feet of Triangle Mesh Reinforcement 



Height 
of 


Inside Diameter of Silo 


Silo 


18 Feet 


20 Feet 


22 Feet 


24 Feet 


368 Style No. 6 
173 Style No. 4 


337 Style No. 6 
254 Style No. 4 


362 Style No. 6 

27!) Style No. 4 


27 Feet 


433 Style No. 6 
229 Style No. 4 


409 Stvle No. 6 
319 Style No. 4 


372 Style No. 6 
419 Style No. 4 


30 Feet 


502 Style No. 6 
285 Style No. 4 


484 Style No. 6 
381 Style No. 4 


382 Style No. 6 
558 Style No. 4 


33 Feet 


568 Style No. 6 
343 Style No. 4 


556 Style No. 6 
443 Style No. 4 


392 Style No. 6 
698 Style No. 4 


36 Feet 


636 Style No. 6 
399 Style No. 4 


566 Style No. 6 
570 Style No. 4 


402 Stvle No. 6 
837 Style No. 4 


39 Feet 


646 Style No. 6 
513 Style No. 4 


576 Style No. 6 
697 Style No. 4 


412 Style No. 6 
977 Style No. 4 


42 Feet 


656 Style No. 6 
628 Style No. 4 


586 Style No. 6 
824 Style No. 4 


422 Style No. G 
1116 Style No. 4 


45 Feet 


666 Style No. 6 
739 Style No. 4 


596 Style No. 6 
951 Style No. 4 


432 Style No. 6 

1116 Stvle No. 4 

140 Style No. 23 


48 Feet 


676 Style No. 6 

798 Style No. 4 

59 Style No. 23 


606 Style No. 6 
951 Style No. 4 
127 Style No. 23 


442 Style No. 6 

1116 Stvle No. 4 

279 Style No. 23 


51 Feet 


686 Style No. 6 
853 Style No. 4 
115 Style No. 23 


619 Style No. 6 
951 Stvle No. 4 
254 Style No. 23 


4.52 Style No. G 

1116 Stvle No. 4 

419 Style No. 23 


54 Feet 


696 Style No. 6 
909 Style No. 4 
173 Style No. 23 


629 Style No. 6 
951 Style No. 4 
381 Style No. 23 


465 Style No. 6 

1116 Style No. 4 

558 Style No. 23 


57 Feet 


706 Style No. 6 
968 Style No. 4 
229 Style No. 23 


639 Style No. 6 
951 Style No. 4 
508 Style No. 23 


475 Style No. G 

1110 Style No. 4 

698 Style No. 23 


60 Feet 


716 Style No. 6 

1023 Style No. 4 

285 Style No. 23 


649 Style No. 6 
951 Style No. 4 
635 Style No. 23 


4S.5 Style No. 6 

1116 Stvle No. 4 

837 Style No. 23 


Floor 


102 Style No. 6 


125 Style No. G 


1.54 Style No. 6 


Roof 


300 Style No. 4 


328 Style No. 4 


400 Style No. 4 



NOTE: — Use 38" widths of mesh and lap 2" or use 42" widths and lap 6*. 
Reinforcement furnished only in rolls 150', 200' and 300' long. 



102 



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104 CONCRETE SILOS 



In preparing data for this booklet, the Universal Information Bureau 
has investigated during the past three years, about five hundred concrete 
silos of various types located in different parts of the United States. 
Methods of silo construction and operation were carefully studied and 
data on the actual cost and labor required, and other important information 
were obtained. Valuable assistance was received from a number of sources, 
particularly from the bulletins of the Department of Agriculture and the 
State Experiment Stations, several paragraphs from which have been used 
verbatim. 

The reader seeking further information on the subject of silage and 
silo construction will find in the following pamphlets a comprehensive 
course of instruction : 

Cement Silos — Farmers' Bulletin No. 405, U. S. Department of Agri- 
culture. 

Silos and Silage — Farmers' Bulletin No. 32, U. S. Department of Agri- 
culture. 

Cost of Filling Silos— Farmers ' Bulletin No. 292, U. S. Department of 
Agriculture. 

Concrete Silo Construction — Bulletin No. 214, University of Wisconsin, 
Madison, Wis. 

Cement Silos in Michigan — Bulletin No. 255, Michigan State Experiment 
Station, East Lansing, Michigan. 

Silage and the Construction of Modern Silos — Bulletin No. 83, Wisconsin 
Agricultural Experiment Station, Madison, Wisconsin. 

The Silo— Monthly Bulletin No. 2, Volume 6, Missouri State Board of 
Agriculture, Columbia, Missouri. 

The Reinforced Concrete Silo — Circular No. 49, by the Missouri Agri- 
cultural Experiment Station, Columbia, Mo. 

Concrete Silo Construction — Bulletin No. 6, Vol. IV, Kansas State Agri- 
cultural College, Manhattan, Kansas. 

Silos and Silage in Maryland — Bulletin No. 129, Maryland Agricultural 
Experiment Station, College Park, Maryland. 

The Silo and Silage in Indiana — Bulletin No. 40, Purdue Agricultural 
Experiment Station, LaFayette, Indiana. 

Soiling Crops, Silage and Roots — Bulletin No. 9, Series II, College of 
Agriculture, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. 

"Modern Silage Methods," published by the Silver Manufacturing 
Company, of Salem, Ohio. 

Farmers' Bulletins published by the U. S. Department of Agriculture 
may be obtained by addressing J. A. Arnold, Editor and Chief Bureau of 
Publications — Department of Agriculture — Washington, D. C. 



r^ 



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